The Right Stuff
by Shergar
Summary: Some things are just meant to be.
1. Chapter 1

The Right Stuff

The protest march had begun peacefully enough, but as the protesters began to gather around the King Kamehameha statue the mood was starting to change.

"What's going on?" Steve McGarrett demanded of the many officers who were policing the event. The Governor had agreed to come out and accept the petition again higher tuition fees at the university, but as the mood turned ugly, Steve was less and less keen to allow the appearance. The Governor's safety was his responsibility.

"I'm not sure what's going on, Steve," responded Chin Ho Kelly, one of Steve's Five-O detectives. "The chanting. Wait! Steve – I just saw Kimi Kokomo."

"Are you sure, Chin?" Steve gasped. Kimi Kokomo was really bad news. Constantly in trouble since his early teens, Kimi was currently on the run after escaping from custody during his trial for attempted murder. "Where is he?"

"I've lost him," Chin reported, disgusted clear in his voice. "I'm at South King Street and Punchbowl Street junction. There's a lot of people here, boss, but he was heading towards the statue."

"Keep looking for him!" Steve ordered. "I'll stop the Governor coming out." Kimi's attempted murder victim was Governor Jameson himself.

Glancing around, Steve spotted his second in command, Robert Conners, standing nearby. The other man was a few years older than Steve and despite his name, was of Hawaiian/Samoan descent. Initially, they had got along very well, but lately Steve had found himself growing impatient with the other man. Conners' attention had suddenly turned to the possibility of retirement and he wasn't giving his all to Five-O anymore. He was far more cautious. At the moment, he was leaning against a wall, lazily surveying the crowd.

"Rob!" Steve beckoned imperiously to the older man, who slowly straightened and ambled over. "Chin just spotted Kimi."

"Oh?" There was no mistaking the indifference in his second's voice.

The furious glare Steve released bounced harmlessly off Conners' indifference. "I need you to get over there and stop the Governor coming out!" Steve ordered. "Stay with him!"

"Sure," Conners agreed, but as he headed off, there was no urgency to his movements.

Lifting a radio to his lips, Steve barked, "All units be on alert. Kimi Kokomo is in the crowd!"

"Spotted him!" shouted an unidentified voice. "He's heading towards the Governor's offices. In pursuit."

It was all going horribly wrong. Steve thought as he pushed his way through the crowds. The happy-go-lucky holiday mood of the protesters was rapidly turning ugly and Steve would take oath that Kimi was at the back of it. As he turned away from the crowd to enter the building where the Governor's office was, the crowd suddenly packed together and moments later a nasty fight broke out. From all sides, blue-clad officers converged, intent on restoring order. Steve hesitated only fractionally, his desire to be in control giving way to his duty to protect the Governor.

There was a dearth of uniformed men in foyer. Alarm prickled along Steve's nerves. This was wrong! There should be a lot of people on duty in this building. There wasn't time to find out what had happened. Steve ran on, heading for the Governor's office. As he scurried up the steps, a shout echoed from above. "Police! Stop or I'll shoot."

The only reply was an exchange of gunfire. The shots overlapped, but Steve was certain there were three guns involved. He made the last turn in the stairs and looked in horror at the scene in front of him.

On the landing outside the Governor's office, his second in command was sprawled on his back, a growing bloodstain on his stomach. A few feet away was the hulking Kimi, bleeding from a wound on his upper arm. He had a choke-hold on a young HPD patrolman. The young cop still had control of his gun, but Kimi's large hand was inexorably squeezing the much shorter and slighter cop's hand and even as Steve levelled his weapon, there was an audible _crack_ as the cop's hand yielded to the pressure. A strangled cry broke from the young man's throat.

"Police!" Steve shouted, then ducked as Kimi swung the cop's gun, still in the young man's hand, towards Steve and fired.

Acutely aware of the young patrolman, Steve hesitated to fire back. It was all too easy to kill the young officer while trying to take Kimi down. Still, he had to try, for he couldn't allow Kimi to get to the Governor and he was only feet away from the door of the office.

Even as the thought crossed his mind, Kimi retreated, still holding the patrolman hostage. The cop struggled, but he was eight or more inches shorter than the criminal and outweighed by a good deal more than 100 pounds. A part of Steve's mind was impressed that the slight man thought he had a chance against the powerfully built would-be murderer. The cop's cap was knocked off in the struggle, revealing sandy-coloured curls which made the patrolman look even younger and elusively familiar. Steve knew most of the HPD officers by sight, if not by name, but he couldn't think where he knew this officer from.

There was no time to think about this further. Kimi used his full weight to crash into the Governor's office door and the wood gave under the pressure. Steve followed cautiously and saw that the Governor was standing behind his desk with nowhere to run. Kimi gave Steve a big smile and turned the young officer's gun on the Governor.

"Not so clever, are you, McGarrett?" he taunted. "I'm gonna blow Jameson's brains out, then yours and kill this kid." He shook the helpless officer by the throat and the young man choked. "I'm gonna be a legend!"

"I don't think so," Steve replied coolly. He levelled his gun. He had no option now; he had to take Kimi down and protect the Governor. He just hoped that the young officer would not be hurt too badly.

Plucking the gun from the cop's hand, Kimi suddenly spun the young man around and raised the weapon to hit him on the head. Simultaneously, the cop brought his knee up in a swift movement and viciously kneed Kimi in the groin.

It was a brave, mad act. It was also successful. Kimi's hand continued its downward trajectory and hit a glancing blow off the young cop's exposed head, but his other hand dropped to clutch at his injured body parts as he slowly crumpled, stunned as much by the action as by the pain. The cop dropped limply to the floor and Steve took the opportunity presented to him and fired. His bullet took Kimi in the leg and the big man dropped to the floor, narrowly missing squashing the slight cop who already lay there. Steve dashed over, kicked the gun from Kimi's reach and clicked the cuffs around the big man's wrists. They were a tight fit, but Steve didn't care.

"Are you all right, Sir?" he asked the Governor, who looked rather shaken.

"Fine, fine," Jameson nodded. He was singularly unconvincing, but there was no blood to be seen, so Steve took him at his word.

Nodding back, Steve whirled and went back out of the office. Other uniformed officers were coming up the stairs and Chin and Kono were with them. "Kimi's in there. We'll need a few ambulances," he ordered and knelt by Conners' side.

It was too late. Steve knew that even as he felt for a pulse. He had seen death often enough to recognise it. Sinking back onto one heel, Steve slowly closed Conners' eyes. It was a sad end to a distinguished career. Feeling like the weight of the world was on his shoulders, Steve got to his feet. "Someone get the ME out, too," he sighed and returned to the Governor's office.

Chin and Kono had managed to get Kimi to his feet, but it was clear the big Hawaiian was not going anywhere under his own steam. "Get him out of here," he ordered. " Book him - attempted murder, assault and murder one. Oh and don't forget escaping from custody and make sure that can't happen again."

"Murder one?" Jameson gasped. "Who…?"

"Rob Conners," Steve replied heavily and saw both Kono and Chin react. They were none too gentle as they hustled Kimi away to wait for the ambulance outside the office.

"I'm sorry about Rob," Jameson offered. He glanced over to where Duke Lukela had assisted the young cop to a sitting position. The young man was alternatively cradling his head and his hand. There was a bleeding scrape down the officer's cheek and his right hand was swollen. There were also red marks on his throat. Steve followed Jameson's gaze and after a moment went over to crouch by the officer.

"That was a brave thing to do, son," he offered, "but you could have been killed." He tilted the other man's head to look at the scrape.

"He was going… to kill me… anyway," the officer croaked in reply. He swallowed gingerly. "What did… I have to lose?" He gave a painful cough. "Sir," he added belatedly.

"You'd think you would have learned last time, Danny," Lukela scolded.

"Last time?" Steve queried, glancing at the sergeant.

"Don't you remember, Steve? A few months ago – six months? – Danny caught that Waikiki burglar." Duke knew that McGarrett had been told about the rookie who had stopped the most notorious burglar the island had seen in quite a while. "He was a big guy, too and Danny broke his wrist arresting him."

"I do remember that," Steve admitted and looked more closely at the young officer. "Looks like you've broken something again, Officer Williams."

Sighing, Danny nodded. "Different hand this time," he whispered hoarsely.


	2. Chapter 2

Kimi's arrest that day was only one of many. Most were students who had been drunk and rather obstreperous and they generally got a night in the cells and a stiff warning. Mixed in with the students were some of Kimi's henchmen, hired muscle who had joined the protest simply to cause trouble to allow Kimi to execute his nefarious scheme. They were well-known to the police and would face charges of inciting a riot. There were a number of injuries among both protesters and police, some minor, some serious. There was only one death – that of Robert Conners.

It was late in the evening when Steve arrived at Queen's Hospital. He stopped first, briefly, at the morgue before making his way into the main body of the hospital to visit the injured policemen. Offering succour was not something he was entirely comfortable with but Steve felt that he had to do it. The men had been out there at his behest and the least he could do was pay a courtesy visit. Once he had finished at the hospital, he would go and see Rob's widow and his family. It was something he was dreading.

Last on the list to visit in hospital was the young officer, Dan Williams, who had saved not just Steve's life but the Governor's also. From the doctor in charge on this floor, he learned that Williams had suffered a mild concussion, a fractured thumb and scaphoid and serious bruising and swelling of the throat. He was being kept overnight for observation and perhaps longer depending on how he was come morning.

Quietly, Steve opened the door to the room, expecting to find the young officer sleeping, but Williams turned his head to see who came in. "Mr McGarrett!" Williams, already semi-reclined, tried to push himself more upright.

"Stay as you are," McGarrett urged. The bloody scrape on Williams' head was still raw-looking and starting to bruise. His right hand was encased in plaster and rested on a pillow. The livid red marks on his throat Steve had seen at the Governor's office were darkening into painful bruises. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Williams insisted hoarsely. "I could easily go home; the doctors are fussing over nothing."

"A concussion is nothing to mess with," Steve warned him sternly, glad that the young man didn't know how often he had signed himself out AMA. "Do as the doctor says."

"Yes, sir," Williams agreed chastened. His lashes swept down for a moment before he met Steve's gaze again. "I'm sorry about Mr Conners," he offered.

"Thank you." Steve knew he sounded stiff, but he had no idea how he felt about Rob's death. He had had no chance to think about it yet. "Can you tell me what happened?"

For a moment, he was sure the other man was going to say that he couldn't remember, but then he saw that he was doing the young man a dis-service. Williams was only pausing to collect his thoughts, a trait that Steve approved of.

"I heard your alert about Kimi and I saw him at once and responded," he began. "I followed Kimi into the building and Mr Conners caught up with me there and took point going upstairs." Williams paused and swallowed. Steve was not familiar enough with his voice to know if the gravelly tones were normal or not, but he suspected not and handed the other man a glass of water. Williams sipped gratefully.

"Take it slowly," Steve cautioned. "I don't want you making your throat any worse. This could wait until the morning if you prefer." Steve really didn't want it to wait until the morning.

"I'd rather do it now," Williams replied. He took a deep breath, his eyes on Steve, but he wasn't seeing the Five-O chief. "We saw Kimi at the top of the stairs. Mr Conners ordered him to stop, but Kimi turned on us with a gun." Steve nodded. They had found Kimi's weapon on the landing. "We all fired pretty much at the same time. Mr Conners…" Williams paused, sipped some water and mastered his distress to a degree. "He went down," he added, only a slight wobble in his voice. "I didn't know how badly he was hurt, but I couldn't let Kimi kill him or the Governor so I tackled him. He grabbed me – and I guess you saw the rest," he concluded. He laid his head back on the pillow for a moment. "I'm sorry I let you down, Mr McGarrett. Duke – that is Sergeant Lukela – told me that Mr Conners died. It was my fault."

It took courage to say that and Steve was impressed. He also knew he had to correct this young man's ideas before they became ingrained and he decided to fall on his sword. "It wasn't your fault," Steve replied. "The lab told me that your bullet hit Kimi's gun arm and that is probably why he dropped his weapon. By then, Rob was already severely injured, perhaps already dead." Steve paused to make sure his words sank in. They seemed to. There was something else he needed to know. "However, tackling Kimi probably wasn't your smartest move – why didn't you fire again?"

"I've never killed anyone," Williams confessed in a low voice. "I guess I thought there were others coming behind us and that help wasn't far away." He glanced at Steve. "It was a stupid mistake, sir and one that won't happen again."

"As long as you have learned the lesson," Steve replied. "You went above and beyond the call of duty to defend superior officers and ultimately, you were successful. You disabled Kimi long enough for me to take him down. You have nothing to blame yourself for. Experience will come in time. Tell me, how long have you been on the force?"

"Just over a year," Williams replied. He took another sip of water.

"Duke was wrong about that burglar arrest being six months ago, wasn't he?" Steve mused. "It was more like 10 months ago, wasn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Williams agreed. He looked utterly drained and Steve knew he really should leave and let the young officer get some rest. "I move into plainclothes next week," he added, then glanced down at his hand. "Or I was supposed to."

"You get some rest and don't worry about it," Steve advised him. "You more than did your part today, Officer Williams."

"Thank you, sir," Williams replied.

Steve walked over to the door, then paused. Turning back he asked, "How old are you?"

"I'm almost 24," Williams replied. He looked and sounded surprised at the question.

"I see." McGarrett nodded once and left. _So young,_ he thought. _So very young._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

The day of Rob Conners' funeral was scorching hot. There were almost no winds to take the edge off the heat and the cemetery was exposed to the full blast of the sun. A canopy was rigged to protect the family, but everyone else had to manage as best they could.

Standing just behind the family's seats, Steve McGarrett could see the large number of cops who had turned out to pay their last respects. It had been a difficult week, with the only high spot – if it could be called that – Kimi's short-lived trial. The large Hawaiian had been sent to the mainland with a life sentence. He wouldn't be returning to these islands alive. It wasn't an easy sentence, but it didn't seem enough to Steve at that moment. Rob's death had left a bigger hole in his life than he had expected. They hadn't really been friends, but they had worked together for the last few years, building Five-O and Steve had not realised how much of the load Rob had shouldered. It was a tough way to lose a respected colleague.

As the priest spoke, Steve glanced around. Rob's widow had been very dignified and very cold since the shooting. Steve was aware that there was speculation running rampant about why he was not sitting with the family, but it was by mutual, unspoken, choice and he was happier being on the periphery of things. This funeral was not about him.

The priest drew to a close and the Governor rose to speak a few words of consolation, praising Rob for his accomplishments over the years. He didn't speak for long and then it was all over. Steve moved, only realising how hot he was when he stepped into the shade of the canopy. The cops were all filing past, offering condolences to Mrs Conners, who took them with reserved dignity. It was only as the scene erupted that Steve belatedly realised that the young man in a dark suit speaking to Mrs Conners was Dan Williams.

"How dare you come here?" Mrs Conners cried, glaring at Williams. "You are not welcome here."

"Now, come on," Duke Lukela started, but Mrs Conners was having none of it.

"Shut up!" she shrieked at Duke and returned her venom to Williams. "How dare you come!" She spat at his feet and the next second slapped him across the face.

By now, others were reacting to the scene, family members coming over and taking charge of Mrs Conners, leading her away from the line of cops waiting to speak with her and Duke grasped Williams' arm and urged him into the shade. "Sit down," he ordered.

Initially, Steve thought Duke was holding on to Williams so tightly to stop him falling over or passing out. Maybe the heat was getting to him along with that scene, but as he drew closer, Steve could see that Williams was angry – very angry. He stepped forward quickly and put a hand on Williams' shoulder. "Sit down," he ordered and put his weight behind the hand. "Calm down!"

While the anger was still visible on Williams' face, he was managing to keep it under control. "I don't understand!" he lashed out. "What have I done?"

"Ever heard of a scapegoat?" Steve snapped, looking at the red mark that was now encompassing the fading bruising on Williams' cheek. "She took her ire out on you because she was afraid to say or do that to me. You were the only other person there with Rob when he died."

"She blames me?" Williams looked shaken and Steve was reminded anew of how young this boy was.

"Grief is not always rational," Steve pointed out. "And you were convenient. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks." Williams drew in a deep breath. "No," he agreed more quietly. "Grief is not always rational."

There was something personal in that, but Steve did not have the time to find out what. "Look after him, Duke," he ordered the sergeant and headed off back to the car. He had a lot of extra work on his plate at the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

With the last details of the case tied up, Steve knew that he had to turn his attention to recruiting a new officer for Five-O. Whether that officer would be the new second in command or just a new officer, he had not yet decided. With Rob's retirement looming on the horizon, Steve had already given the matter a little thought, but had naturally assumed he would have a lot more time and leisure to come to a decision. Now, although he felt a certain reluctance to move too quickly, he knew that he had to hire someone else. He was already swamped with paperwork and although May, their chief secretary, helped him out as much as she could, she had enough of her own work to do without taking on half of his as well. Ordering May to hold all non-urgent calls, Steve retired to his office with a cup of coffee to do some thinking.

There were several detectives in the HPD that Steve knew that Chief Dann thought ought to be promoted to Five-O, but as Steve thought about the men, there were none of them that stood out for him. Oh, they were good detectives, reliable, but they all lacked a certain something that Steve could not quite put his finger on. Of course, he didn't have to recruit from the senior detectives, but he wasn't going to promote a younger man to second in command; that wouldn't do at all. With that thought in mind, he decided to concentrate on his own detectives first before he made any decisions about men from HPD.

The obvious choice for second was Chin Ho Kelly. A good man, experienced, reliable, a talented detective, he had been with Steve since the inception of Five-O. They got on well together and Chin could be relied upon not to skimp on the paperwork. He seemed admirably suited. However… Chin had a young family and the hours already took him away from them far too much. He could and did give direction where needed on crime scenes and was decisive, but Steve knew that he preferred not to carry too much burden of responsibility. If Chin were second in command, he would feel obliged to give even more hours to Five-O than he already did, and for someone with a young family, those hours were tough enough. No, Chin was probably not the answer, although Steve decided to make the offer anyway.

His other detective was Kono Kalakaua. Currently the youngest member of the team, Kono gave the impression of being less bright than the rest of the team. It was an impression that the big Hawaiian spent some time cultivating. His speech was liberally smeared with Pidgin English and Hawaiian words, but there was nothing affected about it; that was his natural way of speaking. Kono was calm in a crisis, strong, stalwart, a good detective and incredibly loyal. Steve liked Kono a lot, but he didn't think the younger man was ready for the extra responsibility yet.

"May, can you send Chin in?" Steve requested.

A few moments later, Chin appeared round the door. "Yes, boss?"

"Take a seat, Chin," Steve offered and moved away from the window to lean against the front of the desk. He watched as the older man calmly took a seat. "Chin, I want an honest answer from you," he instructed.

"Of course, Steve," Chin replied. He looked slightly confused.

"Chin, would you be willing to become second in command here at Five-O? You know what the hours are like already, and they'd probably only get worse, but there is a small pay rise involved." Steve put up his hand to forestall a fast answer. "I don't want you to say yes if you don't think this is right for you. There's no penalty in being honest. You position is not at stake, here.

As Steve had known he would, Chin thought about it for a moment. "Steve, I'm flattered that you've asked me," Chin replied. "And in some ways I'm tempted; the extra money wouldn't go amiss. However, I don't think I'm the right person for the job and it would take away time from the family. Thank you for the offer, but no; I can't be second in command."

"Thank you for your honesty," Steve replied. He stood and clapped a hand on Chin shoulder. "You're a good man, Chin, and I'm proud to have you on board."

"Thanks, Steve." Chin looked up at the taller man. "Who are you thinking of hiring?"

"Good question," Steve answered ruefully.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Later in the day, Steve had a good opportunity to eavesdrop on Kono and Chin talking about the offer that Steve had made. "I'm glad it wasn't me, bruddah," Kono admitted. "I like working for Five-O, but I dunno if I'm ready to be da boss's right hand man."

"I know how you feel," Chin agreed. "I like being with Five-O and can't imagine going back to HPD, but I don't have the time to spend extra hours here. There are times already when I feel I don't see the kids!"

"Or the wife," Kono teased. "But maybe she'd like if you took the job. More money?"

"I don't think she'd be pleased," Chin replied. "She might not say anything, but we both know that she likes me to do my share with the kids."

"You'd have big pilikia, bruddah," Kono laughed. "You gonna tell her about the offer?"

"Of course I am!" Chin responded indignantly. "You think Steve is scary when he's angry?" Both men laughed.

From his position hidden behind the partially open office door, Steve knew he'd made the right decision in offering the job to Chin and the equally right decision in not offering it to Kono. The big man would probably grow into the position, but he wasn't ready to be pushed into it. He would just have to carry on thinking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The following day saw Steve down at HPD headquarters for a completely different reason, but it allowed him the chance to cast his eye over a few potential candidates. First on his list was one of the senior detectives. Steve knew Ito Matsuki to speak to. He was not particularly enamoured of the man. He swaggered too much and he had a few dubious arrests on his record, not to mention an allegation of bullying. Steve was not above losing his temper on occasions, but it seemed to him that Matsuki lost his far too often.

The Japanese detective was in the locker room and greeted Steve with a ribald comment that the Five-O chief did not appreciate. "Come to offer me Conners' job?" he enquired, a cocky grin on his face. "I can start right away. I'll whip Kalakaua into shape for you."

"Hardly," Steve retorted, repulsed by Matsuki's attitude. "I was looking for Duke."

The detective seemed rather taken aback, but tried to hide it. "I haven't seen him," he sniffed and turned away.

That was another one off the list, Steve thought as he returned to the main corridor. He couldn't work with someone he couldn't respect and if the new man did not respect the detectives already in situ, they were in for a hard time.

Spotting Duke vanishing into a room further down the corridor, Steve headed after him. He wanted to ask how Williams was, but as he neared the room, he heard Duke's voice. "Danny – how are you?"

"Fine, Duke," Williams' voice replied. He didn't sound as hoarse as Steve remembered. "Say – I just had a visit from Mrs Conners."

"What?" Duke sounded alarmed.

"Calm down," Williams laughed. "She came to apologise."

"Well, that's good," Duke replied, sounding slightly confused.

"She didn't need to," Williams told him. "I thought about what Mr McGarrett said and I knew he was right. Grief takes many different forms. Remember what I was like?"

His ears practically pricked, Steve stepped closer so he didn't miss anything. So he'd been right the other day; there was some experience of grief in the young officer's life.

"You weren't that bad, Danny," Duke assured him, "given what happened."

"Bad enough," Williams responded soberly. "Why else would the authorities have shipped me off to California to foster care for a few months?"

"You always said that wasn't so bad," Duke chided him. "After all, didn't you get your first kiss there?"

"Duke!" Williams sounded outraged, but there was also laughter in his voice. "Yeah, Melissa Cole." He sighed. "I liked California, but it wasn't home."

"Is that why you did a few years at college over there?" Duke asked.

"You know all this stuff," Williams protested. "Why are you asking about it again? Duke, you were practically a member of the family. But yeah, that's why I went back there."

"Did you ever think about moving there permanently?" Duke asked. "After all, what was there for you here?"

"Home," Williams answered and there was a poignancy in his tone that touched Steve's heart unexpectedly. "This is home for me, Duke. Even without Mom and Dad…" There was a pause. "Hawaii is home. Despite everything, I can't imagine living anywhere else."

"I'm sorry," Duke said, quietly. "I didn't mean to drag everything up for you again."

"You didn't," Williams assured him. "It comes and goes, Duke. It always has and it probably always will."

In the silence that followed, Steve thought that he had found the perfect replacement for Rob Conners. Why hadn't he thought of this before? Duke was perfect for the role of second in command. He was naturally good with others and he was a great cop! Feeling buoyed up, he stepped away from the doorway. He wouldn't speak to Duke about it just now; he would wait a day or so and speak to his old friend then. His job was done, he was sure.

As he walked away, Steve wondered about the things Dan Williams had said. He would have to look into the young officer's past, because he just hated a mystery.


	4. Chapter 4

The next several days were busy and it was almost a week later that Steve finally caught up with Duke. "Hi, Steve," Duke smiled as the tall man breezed into the cubicle that Duke jokingly called his office. "What can I do for you?"

"Duke, I have a proposition for you," Steve replied. He closed the door behind him and sat down. "Duke, I would like to offer you the vacant place in Five-O. There would be a pay rise involved and I know that you could do the job standing on your head. We get on well together and I know that you are already friendly with Chin Ho and Kono." He looked expectantly at Duke. "What do you say?"

For several long moments, Duke said nothing at all. "Steve, I'm flattered," he began finally and Steve could hear the 'but' in his voice. "But I can't accept the position."

Unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice, Steve asked, "Why not?"

"I don't think I'm good enough for a start," Duke replied and held up his hand to stop Steve interrupting. "And you don't need to tell me that I'm great, or whatever you were about to say there. I know that I'm a decent cop, but I'm not Five-O material and definitely not Five-O second in command material. The other reason is the family. I don't know how Chin juggles kids and the job, but I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"You are a good enough cop, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!" Steve insisted fiercely. "I wouldn't have offered you the job if I didn't think you were good enough!" He paused to calm down slightly. "I want you to think it about it for a couple of more days before you give me a final answer," he went on. "Talk to your wife and see what she says and let me know."

"All right," Duke agreed reluctantly. "But I doubt if I'll change my mind, Steve."

As he left HPD headquarters, Steve knew that he would have to start searching all over again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

His other search bore more fruit, but Steve almost wished he hadn't found any answers. The most obvious thing would have been to ask either of his two officers. From things Kono had let slip in the last few weeks, Steve realised that Williams and Kono knew each other. Kono was bound to know what had happened to Williams' parents, mostly because they were both islanders. However, Steve did not want to betray his interest in the young cop. He wasn't thinking about Williams for Five-O yet because the officer was too inexperienced, but he didn't want any gossip to arise from his enquiries and make things tough for the young man. Jealousy could rear its ugly head at any time and ruin a promising career.

He found the answers he sought at the library, in back issues of the newspapers. They weren't hard to find. The headlines were in every paper and Steve stared at them in sorrow for some time before he was able to read the accompanying story.

**Couple Killed in Tragic Boating Accident!** the headlines screamed. **Double Tragedy!** proclaimed another. The photos that illustrated the story showed the pathetic remains of a small craft – probably a small sailing boat, Steve guessed – floating on the water. Williams' parents had been on their boat on the water celebrating a wedding anniversary. Witnesses said that they had been hit by a large, powerful speed boat. Their smaller, lighter craft had not had a chance. Their bodies had been recovered from the water by police divers and the injuries had been extensive. The pilot of the other boat had been seriously injured in the crash and had been in a coma for several days before he succumbed to the head injuries he had sustained. His blood tests showed he had been not only drunk but high. His girlfriend, the only other person on his boat, had also died. She, too, had been drunk and drugged.

Williams had been 15 at the time. His initial stunned immobility had gradually turned into full-scale daredevil antics; surfing, climbing, cliff-diving, wind surfing and all undertaken alone. He'd suffered one or two injuries that had alerted the authorities in juvvie, where he had been placed until other care could be found, to what he was doing and they had shipped him over to the mainland for a few months until a foster family could be found on the island. When he returned, Williams appeared to have calmed down considerably and he finished out his high school career under the radar.

It was a tragedy indeed, Steve reflected as he leaned back in his chair. Many kids in that situation would go off the rails and never find their way back and spend the rest of their lives blaming the past for the mistakes they made in the future. Steve was always disgusted when judges were lenient to people simply because they had had a bad time in the past. Very few people had perfect lives – nobody had a perfect life! – yet plenty of those who had come from very tough beginnings set out to make something of themselves and didn't go around bleating about their background or using it as a perpetual excuse.

Further down the archives, Steve found some more references to Williams, this time on the sports pages. It seemed the teenaged surfing was not just a flash in the pan activity. Williams had won several amateur competitions while in college and there was speculation in the papers that he would turn pro. That clearly hadn't happened and for a while, Williams had disappeared from the competition pages. After about a year, his name was once again being mentioned and Steve discovered that Williams had done some time with the National Guard while at college and then for a year after he graduated. Now, he still competed as time and his duties allowed.

Satisfied that he had learned all he could about Williams, Steve made his way back to the Palace to see if Duke had made up his mind to join Five-O, but his mind stayed on the tragedy of the death of Williams' parents. One day, he would have to find out some more from either Duke or Kono. In the meantime, however, he had the state police unit to run.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

"I'm sorry, Steve, but I can't accept," Duke repeated.

"I'm sorry, too, Duke," Steve admitted. He was intensely sorry; in the couple of days it had taken for Duke to get back to him, Steve had uncharacteristically been daydreaming about the way he and Duke would run the unit and it had rather set him onto his back foot that this was not going to come to pass. Steve was accustomed to making his thoughts become reality. People seldom said no to him.

"I do have a suggestion for you, though," Duke went on. "You know Blaine Charleston? He made detective about two or three years ago. He's good, reliable, single and keen to get on. He's great with paperwork as well."

"Yes, I don't know him all that well," Steve replied. "Thanks for the suggestion and if you ever change your mind, there'll be a post here for you."

"Thanks, Steve." Duke shook his friend's hand and took his leave.

Over the next couple of days, Steve made it his business to find out about Blaine Charleston. As Duke had said, he was a solid cop with a good record of arrests. He was keen to get on and worked hard. Steve made it a point to bump into him casually a couple of times and found him a personable young man. In his early 30s, Blaine was very much a ladies' man. He was good looking and knew it. After considerable thought and a few weeks watching him, Steve approached Blaine and the detective jumped at the chance.

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It wasn't a disaster right from the start, but it was a disaster. As Steve looked at the wreck of the company LTD that Blaine habitually drove, he came to the realisation that Blaine was not cut out for the state police. Oh, he was great with the paperwork, but as second, he fell a long way short of the standards Steve expected. Steve worked closely with Blaine, but as time went on, he realised that Blaine was intimidated by him and it was impossible to maintain the close working relationship that their relative positions required. Now, in a car chase with Blaine at the wheel, Steve had seen his new second come unstuck big time and crash his car. Blaine's injuries were minor, which was something to be thankful for, but the car was a write-off and his new detective had just handed over his badge and gun as he was loaded into the ambulance. Steve harboured no illusions about talking Blaine out of his actions. Blaine did not fit in Five-O and he would not be missed.

The whole process of finding a second had to start all over again.

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A/N I just wanted to let my readers know that I made a slight change in the previous chapter to change Danny's length of time at college on the mainland. It doesn't affect anything else in this story.


	5. Chapter 5

The revolving door of detectives continued. Some of them lasted no more than a few weeks. Some of them, like Blaine, lasted a few months. Steve's reputation for being hard to work with sprouted several limbs during the time and as he was generally over-worked and constantly hunting for someone he wasn't sure he would ever find, his temper became notably short. The whole situation was not helped by the fact they were swamped with cases and there was a while that Steve would have sworn that he was working 24 hours a day to try and keep on top of everything.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What've we got?" Steve asked. He had been driving towards the Palace when he heard the call go out on the radio about a hold-up in a liquor store. While it wasn't something that normally would have interested Five-O, Steve was in no rush to get back to the pile of paperwork that was waiting for him. They were between new recruits at the moment.

"A gang we've been keeping tabs on for a while managed to get themselves cornered in the liquor store they were robbing," Duke explained.

"Why are you interested in them?" Steve asked.

"A couple of reasons," Duke replied. "They are moving out of their usual area of muggings and intimidation and into drug dealing. We sent someone in undercover to try and find out why and it's been interesting to say the least."

"Tell me more," Steve demanded, because this was the kind of thing he liked to be up to speed on. There had been something on his desk about this, he thought, but with time constraints the way they were at the moment, not everything got read.

"It seems that half the gang broke away and we suspect they are now working for Lee Wing Po."

"Po?" Steve echoed. "As in Po's laundry, Po's Chinese restaurants and take-outs and Po's car hire?" Lee Wing Po was a well-known business man in Honolulu and although he had long been suspected of wrong-doing, nobody had ever been able to prove anything.

"The same," Duke agreed. "We don't have any proof to corroborate our theory, so that's what our undercover operator is doing." He smiled. "We got him a job running errands for the boss man. It's slow going, because Po isn't just going to trust anyone without watching them carefully first."

"Who is undercover?" Steve asked and glanced at Duke to find the other man looking at him.

"Dan Williams."

"Williams!" Steve raised an eyebrow at the obvious amusement that Duke seemed to find in his reaction, but he didn't pursue it. "Am I to assume that he is fulfilling his potential?"

"You bet he is," Duke nodded. "He's good, Steve. He's very able, talented and a likable guy. He can be hot-headed, but so far he's proving cool undercover. Of course, he hasn't been tested yet."

"How closely are you watching him?" McGarrett demanded.

"Closely – don't worry," Duke assured him. "Danny's too valuable to us to let him go for long without contact."

"Why didn't Chief Dann tell me about this?" Steve raged, forgetting for a moment the file sitting unread on his desk. "This is too important for Five-O to be kept out of it."

"Steve, we sent the details to you," Duke retorted. "It's not our fault that you haven't asked about this."

Before Steve could reply, there was a volley of gunfire from within the store. Duke yanked Steve down behind the patrol car, although neither of them was in any danger. The HPD officers returned fire and a short time later, the gang members gave themselves up. Steve looked them all over, but none of them was Williams. That was a relief, because they needed him out on the streets, not locked up in a jail cell where suspicions would be aroused if he was not charged like everyone else.

"I want you to keep me up-to-date with this case," Steve requested as he prepared to leave. "I will be up to speed the next time we speak. Let me know if you need any help at all."

"Will do," Duke promised. "How's the search going, by the way?"

"Don't ask," Steve groaned, realising that he was probably not going to get much sleep until he was up to speed on this investigation and he still had to find another second.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X

A man was found. Steve was relieved as he introduced Yuri Adamson to Chin and Kono. Half Russian, half British, Adamson had lived in Hawaii most of his life and had been a detective in HPD for a number of years. He was reliable, divorced and probably the most boring man Steve had ever met. However, he didn't hesitate to jump at the job and was proving to be a very able administrator. Steve had yet to discover how well they would get along when actually out on the job, but nobody had a bad word to say about Adamson.

It was slow progress on the Lee Wing Po case. Steve had met with Duke about it a few times. Danny was slowly being accepted into the fold and getting glimpses of how the organisation of the gang worked, but so far it was quite fragmented. Williams had been undercover for over two months now. The strain was beginning to show on everyone who knew about it.

As he drove back to the Palace, Steve wondered how long it would be before Williams was brought back into HPD and allowed to resume his normal life. There was only so long he could sustain a role such as that one on a small island. Someone, somewhere, would eventually recognise him for who he really was.

Ahead of him, a car shot suddenly out of a side street, missed Steve by inches and sped off. Incensed, Steve floored the accelerator and followed. It wasn't worth wasting his time on a traffic incident, but his blood was up by the near miss and he intended to verbally rip apart the person driving in such a crazy manner.

Rocketing around another corner, Steve realised too late that the other driver must have realised who he was. The car he had been chasing was sideways across the road and Steve, despite heroic efforts on the brakes and with the wheel, could not stop in time. He slammed side-on into the road block, bounced off cars parked on one side of the other car and then bounced back into a car on the other side of the road.

Stunned, he hadn't time to radio for help before his door opened and he was yanked from them vehicle. Someone punched him in the face and he blacked out.


	6. Chapter 6

Steve came back to full awareness as he was being bound to a chair. He was pretty sure he had been drifting in and out of consciousness, for he had vague impressions of people speaking about him, although he could not now remember the words. He was blindfolded but mercifully not gagged, as he was incredibly nauseated. He was bound to the chair with duct tape and whoever did it had done this before. There was no give in the sticky tape at all. "What do you want with me?" he demanded, but his voice was not as strong as the words had sounded in his mind. His only response was laughter and then he was left alone.

It seemed rather unbelievable that a simple traffic violation had come to this. Steve did not know who had grabbed him or why, but there were no doubt plenty of people around who would thank God fasting to do him a bad turn. That knowledge was of no help and he knew that when he was reported missing – when his car was found – nobody would have any idea where to go looking for him. "So it's up to me," he told himself aloud and found the words gave him cold comfort.

His struggles proved useless. The tape twisted against his sweat-slicked skin, chafing his wrists and only getting tighter. He had no more luck with rubbing the blindfold off. Every time he ducked his head, the spinning almost made him throw up and pounding pain encompassed his whole head. Several times he breathed through the nausea, occasionally hearing himself groaning as the pain became too much.

Time passed, although he was aware that without any visual or audio cues, he couldn't be sure how much time. He was finding that his struggles were getting weaker as the pain overcame his iron will. Panting, Steve paused to catch his breath and a sound caught his attention. "Who's there?" he demanded.

"Shh!" Fingers touched his lips for a second. "Don't talk," pleaded a voice. "I'll get you out of this, Mr McGarrett."

There was something familiar about the voice, but Steve's head pounded too hard to allow him to identify the man. The blindfold was untied and he blinked to clear his blurry vision and saw that his rescuer was Dan Williams. "What?" he began but Williams hushed him instantly with a worried look at the door.

"Shh!" he urged again. "I'll get you out of here. Lee Wing Po's men took you earlier – do you remember? Po was angry at first, but now he intends to torture you to find out who has infiltrated his network. Can you walk?"

"Yes," Steve insisted proudly, although he wasn't sure he could even stand up. "Is your cover blown?" he asked.

"No, not yet," Williams responded, "but I don't think it'll be long until it is." He finished freeing Steve and helped the older man stand. "Listen," he urged. "To get out of here, turn left out of this door and go to the end of the corridor. The outside door is unlocked. You're near Hotel Street."

"You're coming with me," Steve declared.

"I can't," Williams hissed. "I need just a couple more days to get the evidence we need." He handed Steve the duct tape and turned around, crossing his hands behind his back. "Tie me up and make it convincing," he pleaded.

"Williams…"

"You've got to get out of here, Mr McGarrett, or Po will kill you. I'll be all right. If you tie me up, they'll believe that you over powered me and I'll be safe for a few more days. Please." He grimaced. "You'd probably better hit me as well."

Touched, worried and angry that the young cop was refusing one of his orders, but seeing in this young man the same determination he himself felt when pursuing a case, he gently turned the younger man to face him. "Mahalo," he breathed and punched Danny in the face.

It was the work of only a few moments to securely bind and gag the undercover officer. Williams' body was totally limp and Steve hoped against hope that he hadn't seriously hurt the other man. His coordination was shot. He hadn't meant to hit Williams so hard. He crossed over to the door and gave one last look back before slipping out and heading towards safety.

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Hotel Street was not the place to be wandering alone. Steve kept moving, hoping against hope that he would find a uniformed patrol that he could flag down, but there wasn't one in sight. Everything seemed to be taking him so much longer than normal. Plodding desperately onwards, he finally found a phone booth and called in to the Palace. Relieved cries welcomed him and it took him several moments to explain where he was and what had happened.

The sounds of sirens pierced the air from all around and Steve watched in fascination as patrol cars and fire engines thundered past him. Against the darkening evening sky, Steve could see plumes of smoke rising into the air. He wondered what was burning, but the arrival of his rescue party distracted him.

"I'm fine," he assured Chin and Kono as an ambulance was summoned. "What's going on?"

"What happened to you, boss?" Chin asked. "Your car was found abandoned."

As thoroughly as he was able to, Steve explained about the car that had almost hit him and his misguided decision to chase after it. He speculated that it was sheer mischance that had members of Po's gang kidnapping him, but from the looks his men exchanged, Steve wondered what he was missing. "What is it?" he demanded. "And where's Yuri?"

"Yuri's back at the office, boss," Chin replied after another exchange of glances. "He's coordinating the clean-up at Po's."

"What? What are you talking about?" Steve suddenly realised where the fire was. "The fire – is that Po's?" He started to struggle to his feet and Kono held him down. "Let go of me!" he demanded. "Williams is in there! He helped me escape, but he was tied up when I left."

"You ain't goin' nowhere but the hospital," Kono told him kindly. "Boss, you're hurt." He gestured to the blood which stained the front of Steve's suit jacket and shirt. "Let the boys take care of Danny."

"Danny?" Steve was feeling really ill now. There was too much going on and he admitted to himself that it was likely that he had a concussion, which was really inconvenient… "You know Williams?"

"Sure do," Kono agreed in a tone that implied that McGarrett had asked that before. "We surf together sometimes, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah, I remember," Steve replied. He did… kind of. But still, that wasn't the point. Williams was in danger and it was all his fault. "We need to help him."

"Steve," Chin said, putting his hand on his boss's shoulder. "HPD keeps an eye on Danny all the time. He'll be fine, I promise."

Mercifully for Chin and Kono, the ambulance arrived and despite his protests, Steve could not muster up the wherewithal to actually get up and walk away. He was loaded into the ambulance and taken off to hospital. As the doors closed, Chin and Kono exchanged another glance. "You really think Danny's gonna be all right?" Kono asked.

"I hope so," Chin replied solemnly. "I hope so."

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It was chaos at the scene of the fire. Hoses tangled across the ground and HPD officers stood back and watched, waiting for the signal that they were needed. Several ambulances stood by, but so far there was no one to take away to safety. "Auwe," Kono breathed. "Bruddah, are you sure…"

"Don't ask," Chin interrupted. "Don't ask." He finally spotted Duke through the crowd and hurried over. "Duke – Danny was in there!"

The Hawaiian officer's face was ashen. "I know," he replied, his voice so low that it could barely be heard above the cacophony that surrounded them.

"He saved Steve," Kono told the older man. He quickly repeated the sketchy account Steve had given them and Duke paled even further. He muttered something that neither Five-o detective caught, but both guessed it was a prayer, addressed to whichever gods Duke believed in.

There was a sudden shout from all around and the three men whirled around to see the firefighters coming from the building, a limp figure slumped between them. For an instant, they were caught in total immobility, terrified that the firefighters had rescued a corpse, but as the firefighters signalled for a gurney, they hurried over and saw the dirty, bound body of Danny Williams and he was coughing violently.


	7. Chapter 7

"How is he?" Yuri Adamson had arrived at the hospital long after Chin and Kono. His suit was as immaculately uncreased as it had been first thing that morning and he wasn't exactly hurrying.

"Who?" Kono asked. He was well aware that he was streaked with smoke, his suit was crumpled, his tie mostly undone and his shirt tail was sticking out. "Steve or Danny?"

"Well, Steve, of course," Yuri replied, frowning. "Who is Danny and why would I care about him?"

"Ya see, that's the problem," Kono declared. He was leaning on the wall, but now he straightened up and towered over the shorter Adamson. "You ought to know," he went on, "cos Steve has been talking about Danny on and off since you arrived."

"Danny?" Yuri still looked puzzled.

"Williams," Chin clarified.

"Oh, him." With two words, Adamson dismissed the other man. "So how is Steve?"

"We're still waiting to hear." Chin glanced at his watch. "What happened at Po's?"

"They got quite a few of the gang members when they turned up to gawk at the ruins," Adamson reported. "Even the big man himself, but right now, we don't have much to hold them on."

"Yes we do," Kono contradicted him. "Kidnapping a police officer just for a start."

"Probably attempted murder as well," Chin mused. "Guess we need to wait on Doc for that one."

"Which doctor is attending Steve?" Adamson asked, ignoring what they had just said. He found the Chin/Kono double act hard to swallow even when he wasn't tired. Now, he was anxious, because if McGarrett was going to be out for any length of time, he would be the one running Five-O and there were several changes he intended to make. Sadly, he reflected, getting rid of the other two detectives was not going to be one of them.

"Dr Bergman," Chin replied and watched as Yuri belatedly reacted to the name.

"Steve's dead?" he gasped, but a small tendril of excitement raced through his belly. Perhaps those changes might be more sweeping than he had first envisioned. Dr Bergman was the coroner – wasn't he?

He bit down on his fury as Chin and Kono laughed. "No, he's fine," Kono replied. "But the coroner always looks after us Five-O guys. Didn't you know?"

"I don't know what's so funny, that's what I don't know," replied a grumpy voice that belonged to the said coroner himself. "And why did I have two patients tonight?"

"Danny Williams saved Steve's life, Doc," Kono explained. "Steve would want him looked after right."

"Flattery will get you everywhere except into my good graces," Bergman retorted. "Let's go in here." He led them into a small lounge and they all sat down. He was quickly introduced to Adamson and the antipathy was immediate and mutual. "Steve – well, good thing he's got a hard head. He's got a moderate concussion and is covered in bruises. I suspect he has mild whiplash, too. I want to keep him for 24 hours, but knowing my luck he'll sign himself out first thing in the morning and be in the office at the usual time. So it's up to you guys to keep an eye on him and bring him back here wikiwiki if he starts showing any unusual symptoms."

"Done," Chin agreed.

"Now, as to young Williams. He took in a lot of smoke. Someone beat him pretty good. He doesn't have any broken bones, but there are a couple of cracked ribs and he's going to have a beauty of a black eye. He has a big swelling on his jaw, but nothing's broken there. Someone clocked him good. I'm going to keep him for a couple of days until we're sure he's not going to develop pneumonia or something from the smoke." He looked at the detectives. "Do you want me to keep looking after him while he's here?"

"Sure do, Doc," Chin nodded. "Steve will be asking after him as soon as he is awake."

"That's a sure thing," Kono agreed. It was a relief to them both to know that both men were going to be all right.

Through all this, Yuri had been silent. "So McGarrett is going to be all right?" he asked.

"That's right," Bergman agreed, thinking he must have imagined the disappointed tone in Adamson's voice. "I suppose I'll be treating you, should the need arise?"

"I don't know why you would suggest that," Adamson retorted stiffly. "I am not in the habit of being injured at work and I would prefer to see a real doctor."

There was a very long, very uncomfortable pause. Bergman eyed the other man up and down and didn't like what he saw. "Be my guest," he replied. "I prefer patients who don't talk back anyway." He rose unhurriedly to his feet. "You two can see Steve and Danny now," he allowed, pointedly ignoring Yuri. "Just remember what I said about keeping an eye on him at work."

"Will do," Kono promised, anxious to be out of that room and away from the unpleasant atmosphere. "Coming, Yuri?" he asked, trying to pretend nothing had happened.

"I shall see Steve when the doctor releases him to return to work," Yuri responded. "In the meantime, I am on call this evening and shall be in my apartment should anyone need me." He turned and walked away at a steady pace.

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Although aching in every bone in his body, with a headache that just wouldn't quit and wearing a soft collar to prevent him exacerbating his whiplash, Steve fixed his men with a steady gaze. "Williams?" he asked.

"He's gonna be fine, boss," Kono assured him. "We got Doc to take care of him. He's gonna be here for a few days, but he's okay."

"Tell me," Steve ordered.

Talking quickly, knowing the nurses would be kicking them out soon, Chin updated the chief about Williams' rescue and detailed the injuries that he had sustained. When he mentioned someone punching Williams, Steve winced. "What's wrong, boss?" Kono interrupted. "Do you need something for pain?"

"No, I'm all right," Steve denied. "No – it's just that it was me that punched him. Williams said… to keep his cover intact… I ought to hit him. I didn't mean to hit him so hard." He went to shake his head, but the collar prevented it. "I guess I blew his cover anyway."

"I dunno about that," Kono replied. "Maybe they was just mad that you got the better of him," he suggested. "We haven't questioned any of the gang members yet, but we'll find out wikiwiki."

"Where's Yuri?" Steve asked after a moment.

"He's on call," Chin replied. He didn't mention the scene between Yuri and Bergman. That could come when Steve was feeling better.

"Oh. Can I see Williams?" Getting out of bed would be difficult but do-able, Steve thought, mentally preparing himself for the effort.

"Not till morning," Chin was quick to say. "He's asleep and you should be, too."

"All right." Steve was finding it hard to keep his eyes open. "Collect me in the morning, will you? Oh – and bring me some clothes, too."

"Sure, Steve," Chin replied, knowing that Steve kept clean clothes at the office, just in case.

"Thanks," Steve slurred. He was dozing before they reached the door and deep in slumber long before they reached Danny Williams' room.

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The room was darkened in deference to Williams' light sensitivity. At first glance, he appeared to be sleeping, but his eyes opened and he squinted to see who had come in. "Kono?" he croaked.

"Easy, Danny," Kono replied. "You're safe now."

"Am I?" Williams coughed harshly. He shoved the oxygen mask aside for a few moments to make speaking easier. "I think Po suspects me. His goons have been watching me real closely for the last few days. I might have blown my cover helping Mr McGarrett."

"Maybe, but kidnapping da boss was a dumb thing for them to do and between that and whatever you got on them, they are going down," Kono assured him. "Where's your evidence?"

"At my place," Williams whispered. "It's well hidden, though. You'll need me to get to it." He coughed again and Chin silently handed him a glass of water. "I need to get out of here."

"No, you need to stay," Kono argued. "Doc says you've got cracked ribs and that ain't something to ignore, bruddah." He fixed Williams with as fierce a glare as he could manage with the younger man. "If ya don't do as Doc says, I'll sit on ya," he threatened.

A slight grin flitted over the bruised features. "Don't make me laugh," he pleaded.

"Then stay here until Doc says otherwise," Kono concluded.

A frown marred Williams' face. "That doctor – he looked like the coroner." The doubt at the identification was clear in the hoarse voice.

"Sure does," Kono agreed mischievously. "Could be because he is the coroner."

"Don't ask," Chin advised the young man. "Just don't ask."


	8. Chapter 8

The headache was no better in the morning and the stiff neck that Steve had from the whiplash didn't help things any. There was a small amount of relief from the painkillers, but Steve refused any that had a sedative effect or left him at less than full brain function. There was too much to do today. Yuri was not yet able to run Five-O alone, in Steve's opinion, and besides, he wanted to press charges against Lee Wing Po himself.

Before Chin arrived, Steve wanted to see how Williams was doing and at a little past 6 am he headed off on a clandestine visit to the younger officer. He had already managed to get the room number from a nurse the previous night during one of his neuro checks and he made his way along the corridor, glad that he didn't have to face climbing any stairs just yet.

The room was still darkened and Steve felt his way cautiously to the side of the bed and looked down on the sleeping young man. A nasal cannula provided him with low-level oxygen support and he was hooked up to an IV. A large dark bruise encompassed all of his left eye and part of his cheek and there was a large knot on his jaw just below that. Steve reached out and gently touched the knot, wincing as he felt how hard and sore it was.

At the touch, Williams roused, his one good eye shooting open and his hand shot out and grabbed McGarrett's wrist. "What…?" he gasped and began to cough.

"Easy, easy," Steve soothed. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you."

"Who?" Still keeping his death grip on Steve's wrist, Williams squinted at the man above him. His sleep-muddled brain took a few seconds to place the intruder and then he dropped Steve's wrist as though it had burned him! "Mr McGarrett! I'm… I'm sorry… I … I…" Williams stopped trying to say anything to get the coughing under control.

While the younger man did that, Steve switched on a lamp and took a closer look at the young officer. He sat down in a chair by the bed. "First off, I think you should call me Steve," Steve proposed. "After all, you have now saved my life twice."

Colour flooded the pale face. "I can't do that," Williams spluttered. "It's not respectful."

Slightly taken aback, Steve didn't know what to say for a moment. "On the contrary," he growled. "I would say that it's disrespectful not to do as someone asks you."

Williams gulped. "Yes, sir," he gasped. "I mean, yes, Steve."

"That's better," Steve nodded approvingly. "Now, despite what you have no doubt heard to the opposite, I am not in the habit of eating men alive. So far, you have proved yourself without question to be a very quick thinking and resourceful officer. I further expect that you have gathered more than enough evidence to rid us off Lee Wing Po, but I suspect that you don't believe that is the case."

"Um…" the younger man said and stopped.

"I thought so," Steve smiled, pleased with his deductions. "Now, where is the evidence?"

"It's at my place," Williams replied. "But you won't be able to find it without me, sir. I mean… Steve."

"You think not?" Steve was affronted by the idea that he would be unable to find what he was looking for.

"With all due respect, you don't know what it is you're looking for," Williams began. "And I don't really want to go back and find my place trashed."

He had a point, Steve thought, raising an eyebrow. In fact, he had two very good points. "So, when are you getting out of here?" he asked.

"Today?" Williams looked both hopeful and doubtful. "The doctor I saw – Bergman? – he said it probably wouldn't be today." He lifted his left hand, and indicated the IV. "I could pull this, I guess."

This really was a man after his own heart, Steve thought, but he didn't want to start Williams' relationship with Bergman with an unauthorised escape. "Better not," Steve mentioned, although he wouldn't have hesitated to do so himself. "Let me speak to him. Perhaps you can get out for long enough to show me where the evidence is."

"And once I'm home, I could stay there," Williams suggested. "Steve – is he really the coroner?"

"Yes, he really is," Steve laughed. "Don't worry, he's a first rate doctor. I'd rather see him than some of the others around. He tells me the unvarnished truth." He gave Williams a look. "I prefer to be told the truth at all times by the people I work with." He saw with satisfaction the message was received and understood. "Now, tell me. What do you prefer to be called? Dan, Danny, Daniel?"

"Not Daniel," Williams smiled. "That's what my mother called me when I was in trouble." For a moment, his smile dimmed. "No doubt she'd be calling me that if she were to come in here now."

Now was not the time to go delving into Williams' past, so Steve let the comment slide as though he knew nothing of the past tragedy. "So what do you prefer?"

"Danny, I guess. Or Dan. It doesn't really matter. I like either." Williams seemed to relax. "I didn't get the chance to ask," he went on. "How are you?" He peered at McGarrett with real concern. "They didn't hurt you too bad, did they?"

"No, I'm fine," Steve assured him. "Are you up to telling me what happened after I left?" He sighed. "I didn't mean to hit you that hard. I'm sorry."

"It's all right," Williams assured him. "I guess I was out for a few minutes. When I woke up, the two guys who brought you in were standing over me. They really let me have it for being stupid enough to get close to you and let you escape." Unconsciously, Williams touched his cracked ribs. "Then they set fire to the place so that there would be nothing to show that you had ever been there." He found a crooked smile. "I was really glad to see the firefighters. I wasn't sure I was going to get out of there."

"I'm glad you did, Danny," Steve replied. "Do you think your cover was blown?"

"No, I don't think so," Danny replied thoughtfully. He glanced at the glass of water sitting on his bedside table and started to reach for it, but Steve guessed his intentions and got there before him. Danny smiled his thanks and sipped a couple of times before going on. "Po wasn't big on people failing him," he explained. "The lower down the ranks you were, the faster you were out of the door if you messed up. Some of his ex-gang members were pretty badly hurt before they were turned loose and they all knew that Po would have eyes on you somewhere. Say one word out of place and…" He drew his finger across his throat with an eloquent noise.

"Nasty," Steve commented.

"And effective," Danny agreed. He raised his eyes, visibly tensing as the door opened and Dr Bergman came in.

"So here you are," Bergman commented to Steve. "I might have known. And where is your collar?"

"Collar?" Steve asked innocently, although he could barely turn his head.

"Don't come it," Bergman replied in a long-suffering tone. "I know you, Steve, remember? And don't go corrupting this young man, either."

"I won't," Steve promised lightly. "But, Doc, I do need you to let Danny here out for a few hours so he can give us his evidence for this case."

"Now, Steve…"

The Five-O chief held up his hand. "Just for a few hours, I promise," he interrupted. "This is really important, or I wouldn't ask. After all, Danny saved my life last night and I can't let any harm come to him." He winked at the younger man. "I wouldn't want to spoil a promising career in law enforcement, now would I?"

"Is it really that important?" Bergman moved so he could see Steve's face.

"It's that important," Steve agreed.

"All right, then he can do it. I'll give him something for pain beforehand and I want him back here as soon as possible. Is that understood?" Bergman fixed them both with a stern eye.

"Understood," they chorused and Bergman nodded. "I'll go and make the arrangements now," he agreed. "Steve, go back to your own room and I'll let you know as soon as Mr Williams is ready."

"Call me Danny," Danny offered. "Everyone else does. And Doc, mahalo for last night. I don't think I got the chance to say it then."

"You're welcome," Bergman said gruffly and hurriedly exited the room.


	9. Chapter 9

As they arrived at the hospital, Chin and Kono were not expecting to find Danny dressed and sitting in a wheelchair in Steve's hospital room. The Five-O boss quickly got changed into the suit that Chin had brought from the office and despite his slightly paler than normal complexion, Steve soon looked as dapper as ever. Unshaven and wearing a robe over scrubs, Danny felt completely disreputable beside the three sharply dressed detectives. He was slightly cocooned by the painkillers Doc had given him, but all the same, he felt as though he was somehow letting the others down by being dressed as he was. "Of course, you know, Kono," Steve said, introducing Danny. "And this is Chin Ho Kelly."

"Mr Kelly," Danny acknowledged.

"Call me Chin," the Chinese man invited, smiling.

If any of them were thinking what Danny was thinking about his state of dress, none of them indicated it by so much as a twitch. Kono solicitously helped Danny from the chair into the back of the car while Chin made sure that Steve was comfortably settled. Chin was a good driver, but it was still an uncomfortable journey for Danny with his cracked ribs. He gave directions to his home and when they arrived, Kono again was there to assist him. Danny was slightly perplexed about this. He and Kono were good friends, but quite why the big man was being so helpful was beyond Danny altogether.

Fumbling for his keys, Danny opened the door and led the way in. The small space was just as Danny had left it. It felt stuffy, because he hadn't been back to open a window for a couple of days and he almost did that before remembering why they were there. "It's over here," Danny explained, grabbing the arm of the old easy chair to get down on the floor.

"Careful," Steve chided as Danny paused in an awkward position, half up and half down, clutching his ribs.

"Let me, bruddah," Kono suggested.

"No, I have to do it. I know the knack," Danny panted, resting for several moments with his head against the arm of the chair. He hoped the pain wouldn't make him throw up. That was the last thing he needed. He already felt like schoolboy amongst the most important cops on the islands. He caught his breath and carefully peeled back the rug and felt along the floorboard underneath. If it was pushed in a certain way…

Normally, it only took Danny seconds to spring the floorboard. Today, however, every time he pushed, his ribs twinged violently and took his breath away. Behind him, he could feel McGarrett's impatience and he blinked the sweat out of his eyes and braced himself. One firm push was all it took, but Danny felt as though his ribs had sprung into a million pieces. He couldn't stop the cry that issued from his lips and as the board popped free, he lost his balance and if it hadn't been for Kono's vigilance, Danny would have suffered a nasty fall. As it was, he was barely able to draw breath for several long minutes and each succeeding breath was agony.

He never had any idea how long it took before he was aware of what was happening in the world again, but when Danny was finally able to open his eyes, he found that he was propped against a wall and Steve McGarrett was crouched beside him looking anxious. "Feeling any better?" he asked.

"Uh… yeah," Danny wheezed.

"Is this all of it, Danny?" Kono asked, holding up a bundle of papers and other items wrapped in plastic.

"No, there's more; further up," he replied. "You have to reach under the next board along. You'll probably have to lie down on the floor to reach it." He started to gather himself to get up and get it himself, but McGarrett read his mind and stopped him.

With interest, they watched Kono stretch out along the floor, one arm reaching awkwardly under the floorboards. Hiding something under the floorboards was hardly a novel idea, but Danny's floorboard hideout seemed a good deal less obvious than some and he had had the sense to shove the evidence out of sight.

At last, Kono pulled his arm back and withdrew another plastic-wrapped bundle. "Is this it?" he asked, pushing himself upright and brushing off the front of his suit.

"Yeah, that's it all," Danny agreed. He raised a shaking hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.

"Do you live here all the time?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, this is it," Danny nodded. It was a small room, with a partition partially hiding the bed and the tiny kitchen just a part of the main room. It had a basic, minute, bathroom, for which he was very thankful, but there was no getting away from the fact he was living in pretty much one room. "After I'd paid for school, there wasn't much left," he offered. Most of the room was dominated by his surfboard – his pride and joy. He met Steve's eyes proudly. "But I've paid off all my debt now," he informed the older man. All the money he had inherited, which wasn't a vast amount, had gone to pay his tuition and board, but he had still owed some money after graduation.

"That is something to be proud of," Steve replied, still not letting on that he knew about Danny's background. He glanced over at the other two men. "Let's get Danno here back to the hospital."

Only vaguely did the name register with Danny. He was too consumed with the thought that he would have to get to his feet and how painful it would be. The name did register with both Kono and Chin and they exchanged a glance. Since when did the boss go around giving people nicknames? It was something they would have to discuss when Steve was not around – and Yuri would also have to be kept out of the loop. This development was definitely something that they did not want the new second learning about.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 

He had never thought that he would be glad to be back in hospital, but as Dr Bergman injected something into the IV port, Danny Williams realised that this time was an exception. The pain from his ribs had increased as they drove back and taking part in the conversation around him was totally beyond his capabilities. As the welcome numbness from the drugs spread through his body, Danny opened his eyes and with a start realised that McGarrett was still in the room.

Seeing the younger man's eyes open, Steve smiled. "Feeling better?" he enquired.

"Mm… yeah," Danny agreed.

"Chin and Kono are looking at the evidence as we speak," Steve informed him, "but from what I could see from a quick look in the car, you have gathered more than enough to bring down Po's empire and even the wily old man himself. Congratulations, Officer Williams."

"Thank you, sir." Danny didn't correct himself over the name this time. Steve's words had been formal and Danny could not respond casually to that.

"You get some rest now," Steve ordered. "We'll talk more when you're feeling better." Steve was not feeling 100% either, not by a long way, but he knew he would be able to keep going for a while longer before he succumbed to a rest on the office sofa. He wanted to look at the evidence more closely for himself.

He also wanted to do some thinking about Officer Danny Williams.

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"Kono!" Steve marched through the office and gestured for the detective to follow him. "Tell me; you know Danny Williams. Is he planning on moving out of that hell-hole?"

"I think so," Kono nodded. "He looked at a place before this all started, but he didn't have enough money for the deposit. And well, since he's been undercover, that place seemed right."

"Do you know where it was?" he asked.

"No, but knowing Danny, it'd be near the beach," Kono replied. "He loves to swim and surf."

"I see. Thanks. What have we got with the evidence?"

"Tell me what you want, and I bet dat boy's got it," the Hawaiian grinned. "Better call for arrest warrants, boss."

"Excellent!" Steve felt re-energised. "Let me see and then we can get right on it." He cleared some space on his desk as Kono went to get Chin, Yuri and the evidence.


	10. Chapter 10

The rest of the day was busy for Steve. He summoned the Attorney General to his office and they pored over the things Danny had gathered and then arrest warrants were issued. Chin, Kono, Yuri, Duke and several other HPD officers set off to make the arrests and Steve lay down for a moment to rest on the sofa at the urgings of May, his secretary. He was chagrined to awaken several hours later when his detectives returned.

"You don't look as happy as I thought you would," Steve commented. He had hoped to be in on arresting Po himself, but he had simply been too exhausted.

"Lee Wing Po escaped," Chin reported.

"What?" Steve found he was pacing. "How did that happen?"

"It seems he was tipped off somehow," Duke explained. "We'll probably find out as we question the gang members we've picked up."

"Tipped off," Steve mused thoughtfully. There was something nagging at his memory and he couldn't quite bring it in to focus. His headache was back big time and his neck was stiff again after his nap. He rubbed fretfully at the sore muscles, hoping that would stimulate his memory. It didn't.

"We've got the island sealed off," Kono offered. "He ain't getting away."

"Let's hope not," Steve agreed. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was gone 7pm. They had all had a long day. "Let's call it a night, gentlemen, and start afresh in the morning."

As the others filed out of the door, Steve turned and reached for his suit jacket. The phone rang. "McGarrett," he offered in a resigned tone. How many times had the phone rung as he was trying to leave for the night? he mused wearily. He supposed it was an occupational hazard.

"Steve, its Bergman," growled the familiar voice. "Where is Danny Williams?"

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"What? What do you mean where is Danny Williams?" McGarrett demanded. "He was sleeping when I left the hospital earlier."

"Well, I can assure you he isn't sleeping in the hospital any longer," Bergman snarled. "His IV is dripping on the floor and he's gone!"

"Are his clothes there?" Steve asked, for Kono had packed a small bag for Danny with a few essentials. "It was in the closet."

"Hold on." Bergman seemed to sense the unease that was growing in Steve with every moment that passed. While Danny had indicated that he would leave the hospital AMA if need be, he had been too sore that afternoon to do something so rash. Steve wasn't sure how he knew that, but he just did. Besides, hadn't he all but ordered Williams to stay put? Steve drummed his fingers on the desk while he waited. In moments, Bergman was back. "His clothes are still there. What does that mean?"

"That means that he was snatched!" Steve knew, with a sinking feeling in his gut that he had overlooked something very important earlier and he now remembered what it was – Danny had told him that Po had eyes everywhere and anyone who stepped out of line and spoke to the wrong people paid the penalty. "I'll be right there!" he told the coroner and hung up the phone with a crash.

It was too much to assume that nobody had gone home yet, but as he exited the office, he saw that Yuri was still there. "Yuri! Come with me!"

"Yes, Steve," Yuri replied obsequiously. "Where are we going?" he enquired as he trotted down the stairs at Steve's back.

"Danny Williams has been snatched from the hospital. I think Lee Wing Po has him."

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As they drove at breakneck speed to the hospital, Yuri clinging to the dashboard for dear life, Steve issued a BOLO for the missing officer and requested contact be made with both Kono and Chin. He wanted his top men all on board for this search. "I should have known!" Steve chastised himself as he strode quickly along the corridor towards the room where he had last seen Danny. "Danno told me about Po's habits himself!"

"It's not your fault," Yuri assured him in a rather patronising tone. "Williams will be all right. He probably hasn't been snatched at all; he's probably gone to the cafeteria for something to eat."

That stopped Steve in his tracks and he swung around to glare at the other man. "What did you just say?" he demanded. "Are you really implying that Danno would be dumb enough to do something like pull an IV just so he could get something to eat?" Steve's tone ably implied that he thought Yuri was a complete idiot.

"He's a stupid kid!" Yuri shot back. "He should never have been given a gig like this because he clearly isn't fit to carry it off. Undercover work is difficult and dangerous and he didn't do a good job!"

"After all the arrests we made today and all the evidence he collected, you have the gall to say that Danno is a stupid kid?" Steve's fists were tightly clenched and it was taking all of his not-inconsiderable control to keep his fists down by his sides.

"He got lucky," Yuri retorted. "You wouldn't be making this fuss over him if he hadn't saved your life. He nearly got killed because of what he did – he should have let you take your chances with the gang and kept his cover intact."

"His cover was intact right up until I took him from this building earlier today," Steve snarled. "In fact, for all we know, it is still intact; perhaps the people who snatched him are rescuing him from us – the cops!" He took a deep breath and made a conscious effort to lower his voice. Public fighting with his second was not a good idea. "However, I suspect that his cover has been blown because of the arrests. Danno told me that Po keeps a close eye on people who leave his organisation; what is to say that he doesn't keep a close eye on everyone?" At the moment, that was speculation, although a tingling in his gut told Steve he was on the right track. "Be that as it may, Danny Williams has been snatched from this hospital. He is a member of HPD and as such, we will do everything in our power to find him before harm comes to him, is that clear?"

"Oh, it's clear," Yuri agreed. "Crystal clear. Williams is your new little pet, isn't he? You're grooming him for Five-O – you've even given him a Five-O nickname." He laughed, but there was nothing mirthful about the sounds. "Kono, Chin Ho and now Danno; only I didn't get the nickname."

Steve was stunned. He genuinely hadn't realised that he was calling Danny Danno. He had no idea why he was doing it; it wasn't a conscious decision, it had just happened. He wasn't even going to defend himself against this ridiculous accusation; Yuri wouldn't believe him whatever he said. "Let's go," he ordered curtly and strode off.

There wasn't much to see in the hospital room. The abandoned IV was no longer dripping on the floor – someone had clipped it off – but the puddle of fluid was still there. The bed clothes were pushed aside, but there were no obvious signs of a struggle. As Bergman had reported, Danny's clothes were still in the small bag Kono had packed and it was still in the closet. Yuri noted those details down in his notebook as Steve perused Danny's chart.

"Your nurses did observations at 5.30pm," Steve observed. "It says here he got something for pain – what was it? I can't read what that says."

"He's been pretty sore," Bergman replied without taking the proffered chart. "I ordered some morphine to help him rest."

"So he'd have been sleepy," Steve theorised. "Not able to put up much of a struggle."

"He'd have been out for the count," Bergman countered. "Morphine knocks him right out."

They exchanged a grim look. On one hand, that ruled out a further injury, for the young officer wouldn't have been able to resist. On the other hand, it left him completely vulnerable to whatever his kidnapper intended to do. "What was he wearing?" Steve asked, pushing that thought aside for the moment. "He had on scrubs earlier."

Bergman glanced at the nurse. "He just had on pyjama bottoms," she replied and blushed. "The scrub top was uncomfortably tight and he was feeling it rather warm in here."

"Warm?" Bergman picked up the chart and glanced at the recorded vital signs. "Hmm, his temperature was normal." He glanced at the nurse, who was still blushing. "It has been warm in here with the sun streaming in all afternoon," he admitted. "Still…"

"Still what?" Steve asked.

"He was suffering from smoke inhalation yesterday when he was brought in, as you know. With those cracked ribs, breathing deeply is seriously painful and patients with that combination of injuries are more prone to developing pneumonia. Feeling warm might be a precursor to that, or he was simply too warm. I can't say for sure right now." He put down the chart. "Either way, I want him back here as soon as possible. That little jaunt of yours this morning took more out of him than he was willing to admit."

"Believe me, Doc, that's exactly what I want, too," Steve agreed. He glanced around as he heard footsteps and found Chin and Kono arriving together. In a few short words, he updated them on what had happened. "Get out there and hustle your snitches," he ordered. "We need to find Danno right away."


	11. Chapter 11

The wad of cloth was leaching away all the moisture from the inside of his mouth and the duct tape was irritating the skin on his lips. His arms were pulled behind him and tied on the other side of the wooden post he was propped against. Despite the morphine that still clouded his thoughts, his ribs were letting him know in no uncertain terms that they were very unhappy with this position. Between his ribs and the gag, breathing was not something to be taken for granted. His legs were bound at the ankle and stretched out in front of him and tied off to a ring that was set into the hard-packed earth.

A leafy roof covered the open-sided structure. There were three other posts identical to the one to which Danny was tied and he shared the space with an incongruously normal selection of garden tools. Unfortunately, Danny had no other clue as to where he was except that they were high up. He could see the ocean, unusually dark and brooding as a storm swept in with the night.

A blast of cooler-than-normal winds struck his bare torso, bringing the first splatter of rain with it. Danny shivered as his flesh rose in goosebumps and then winced. Shivering hurt and just exacerbated his misery; something that he had hardly thought was possible.

So far, Danny was alone. He had only vague memories of his abduction from the hospital. There was a stinging soreness on his left forearm that he guessed was where the IV had been inexpertly pulled. He recalled being strapped to a gurney, his struggles weakened by the drugs as well as his injuries. Somehow – and he was really hazy on the details – he had ended up here.

Another shiver shook his lightly-clad frame and it wasn't entirely because of the cold wind. There could be only one person behind his abduction and imprisonment – Lee Wing Po. The young detective was none too sanguine about his future prospects at this point. While he had no doubt that his HPD colleagues would start looking for him when they discovered he was missing, he had no idea how long it would be before anyone noticed his absence. Even once the hue and cry was raised, nobody knew where he had been taken. It was a bleak, bitter thought.

The sound of a car engine brought Danny's head up off his chest and he blinked as bright headlights swept over him. A surge of fear in his belly momentarily cleared the fog from his mind. This had to be Po. Danny knew that he was now facing his own death and from what he had learned while undercover, it would be neither quick nor easy. The car engine died and the door opened and then closed. Danny sat rigidly, waiting for the inevitable confrontation. The rain was battering down now, stinging as it hit his bare skin. He was completely soaked.

The person who had exited the car walked away and Danny was left alone again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ropes binding him defied his struggles. The rain sluiced down and the roof above simply funnelled the deluge onto the hapless detective. Clad only in pyjama bottoms, Danny was completely at the mercy of the elements.

The storm blew through quickly, but the air was cool and fresh after it passed. Danny was shivering helplessly. He tried to convince himself it was simply from the cold, but he knew that fearful anticipation had its part, too. Whoever had arrived in the car had gone inside the structure somewhere behind Danny – he couldn't turn enough to see, but he assumed it was a house of some kind. The waiting was shredding his already tattered nerves. His imagination provided him with all sorts of gruesome potential scenarios that would lead to his death.

Like all cops, Danny had been taught that he might have to lay down his life during his service as a law enforcement officer. It was a risky profession and death was a possibility, along with serious, career-ending injury. On the other side of that equation was the knowledge that most cops never suffered any on-the-job injury and most never fired their guns. Unlike most healthy young men, Danny knew that death could come calling at unexpected times. However, he was no more willing than any other young person to believe in his own mortality.

Until now.

Danny did not want to die. He was doing what he had always wanted to do and his career was on a very nice upward trajectory. He had even come to the attention of the top cop on the islands and although he was sure that he had no hopes of becoming a Five-O officer for at least a decade, if not more, he had hoped that perhaps he would be asked to work with them occasionally.

So he fought his bonds, adrenalin masking his growing pain, but the rain-soaked hemp was swelling and all that Danny succeeded in doing was causing himself more hurt. With bleeding wrists and ankles, he piteously dragged breath in through his nose as his cracked ribs reminded him of their presence. His heart hammered painfully in his chest, just adding to his misery.

It was then that he heard footsteps behind him, drawing closer. Raising frightened eyes, Danny saw an indistinct figure stop a few feet away from him. At a guttural word, spotlights snapped on. Squinting furiously in the sudden brightness, Danny felt suddenly faint.

Lee Wing Po.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We know Po has him," Steve reiterated. "The question is where?"

"We don't know that Po has Williams," Yuri countered pettishly.

Infuriated by his second's petty jealousy and lack of support, Steve whirled around from the window where he had been staring thoughtfully into the rain and banged his clenched fist down onto his desk. Several items sitting on it jumped. So did Yuri.

"Yes we do know that!" Steve snarled. "After everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, why are you still trying to convince yourself that Danno has either run away or been taken by some random psycho?"

It was debatable if fear or wisdom kept Yuri silent. Chin and Kono thought it was the former. Kono realised at that point that he, Chin and Steve were all on their feet, pacing, ready for action while Yuri was sitting in one of the white leather chair – not quite at ease, but definitely not ready for instant action.

"Po can't be at the warehouse, his house, the restaurants or the take-away," Chin said with admirable calmness. His round faced was etched with worry. "We still have men in those places."

"Which of his known henchmen do we have in custody?" Steve asked and Kono quickly found thumbed through the file and recited that information.

"We've got men searching their homes, too," Kono added.

"So who do we not have?" Steve asked. Kono had anticipated the request and as he read out the short list of names, Chin was already jotting down addresses.

"Only two?" Steve breathed. Could fortune be smiling on them again?

"This one is right in the middle of Waikiki, boss," Chin noted. "Wouldn't be easy to get someone in unseen."

"I know dis place," Kono declared excitedly, jabbing a thick finger onto the paper. "It's real isolated – no neighbours."

"Is there cover?" Steve demanded.

"Yeah," Kono nodded, knowing without being told what Steve wanted . "Screened off pretty good."

"Let's go," Steve ordered. "We'll get HPD to sweep that other address."

"You have no grounds on which to search these premises again," Yuri protested. "It was searched earlier and nothing incriminating was found."

Sensing another impending explosion, Kono pulled Yuri to his feet and dragged him towards the door. "You ain't helping, bruddah," he hissed. "It's always mo bettah to do what da boss says."

"Mo bettah for whom?" Yuri asked, but quietly enough that Kono could pretend not to have heard.


	12. Chapter 12

"So my helpful little errand boy turns out to be a police informer," Po purred silkily. He leaned over to run a hand caressingly down Danny's cheek. It took all the detective's willpower not to react.

Straightening, Po gestured and another man stepped forward. Danny recognised him as An Sung, Po's brother-in-law and right hand man. Sung crouched down and ripped the tape off Danny's mouth and extracted the wad of cloth. Danny cautiously took a deeper breath of air.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Po asked.

Silence was the obvious answer, but Danny genuinely couldn't speak. His mouth was far too dry. Despite knowing it made him look nervous, he licked his lips, attempting to work up some saliva, but instead just feeling the residual stickiness left by the tape.

"Nothing to say for yourself? That isn't your wisest move," Po told him. He gestured to Sung once more and the other man reached out and pressed hard against the bruise over Danny's cracked ribs.

He had had no time to brace himself for such an action, but even if he had, there would have been no way for Danny to maintain silence. Pain rocketed through his chest and a scream tore from his parched throat. Dimly, he heard Po and Sung laughing, but all his attention was caught up in trying to ride out the horrific pain and to breathe.

Eventually, the pain died back to manageable levels, although Danny was covered in a cold sweat. He slowly lifted his head, reluctant to come back to this world, but knowing that he had no choice. Po was looking at him interestedly. "Now you know what happens when you resist me," he warned. "How long have you been working for McGarrett?"

Even knowing what was coming, Danny told him the truth. "I don't work for McGarrett." Steve might be the top cop on the island, but Danny was in HPD, not Five-O and therefore did not work directly for McGarrett.

The pain was even worse this time. Danny found himself gagging and retching as the agony went on and on and on. He gasped for air, coughing and choking, and feared that he would never be able to breathe properly again. Finally, he was able to drag enough oxygen into his lungs to clear his head slightly and once more he raised his head to look at his tormentor.

As Danny lifted his head, Sung approached, smiling when the younger man flinched slightly. This time, Sung did not touch his ribs. Instead, he grabbed Danny's hair and held his head back against the post. Po walked over and picked up the roll of duct tape which Danny had not noticed was lying by his legs. With deliberation and malicious enjoyment, Po wrapped the tape around Danny's neck and the pole, forcing his head to stay up.

"This time, don't try to be clever," Po instructed him. "How long have you been working for McGarrett?"

"I don't work for him," Danny panted and this time, Po struck him hard across the face. Blood instantly started to gush from his nose and mouth. His cheek stung and his neck was wrenched. He choked anew.

"Do you know what happened to the men who beat you up and allowed McGarrett to escape?" Po asked when Danny seemed a bit less dazed. He didn't wait for the reply that he wasn't going to get anyway. "I shot them. It was quick and relatively painless for them, but don't think I'm always that generous. With you, I am going to enjoy learning everything I can about you before I kill you." He ran his hand down Danny's chest, his finger lingering on the bruised, inflamed ribs. Pain tingled along Danny's nerves. "I think a pair of concrete overshoes will fit you perfectly," he smiled. Still smiling, he drew back his fist and punched Danny hard in the abdomen. The pain was overwhelming and Danny fell headfirst into the welcoming darkness.

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"Cut the siren," Steve ordered. Obediently, Kono, who was riding shotgun to give directions, did as he was told. He knew what Steve was doing that; in in isolated area, the sound of a siren would alert any wrong-doers and give them time to escape. It would also give them time to kill their prisoner and that was the last thing Steve wanted. In the back seat, Yuri muttered something under his breath, but everyone ignored him.

Steve had to acknowledge, if only to himself at the moment, that hiring Yuri had been a mistake. His solid, reliable record concealed the fact that he was totally lacking in initiative, imagination and even common compassion. He had joined the police as a job, not a vocation. He was not motivated by a desire to help others; he helped solely because of the requirements of the job. In Five-O, he was completely out of his depth in anything that varied even a fraction from the rules – such as this exercise. He would have gone to a judge and asked for a warrant and if the judge had refused, he would have done nothing more. Danny's life would have been forfeit in Yuri's hands. Steve had to make sure that Danny's life wouldn't be forfeit in his hands.

At Kono's warming, Steve stopped the car a short distance from the house. They left the car doors open, for fear of the noise of them closing carrying on the quiet of the night air. They were high up and the air was cool and fresh after the rain. The moist ground seemed destined to make unwelcome squelching noises to betray their presence, but the longer grass on the side of the road allowed them to make an approach in near silence.

The house was as well screened as Kono had told them. Pushing through the undergrowth without making untoward noise would take time and patience and Steve was not sure he had either. Still, they had to try. Beckoning the others close, he whispered out his instructions. Chin and Kono would go around to the right and Steve and Yuri would go left. Steve wanted Yuri right where he could see him at all times. In a situation like this, the man could prove to be a liability. Once more, for a brief moment, Steve wondered how he had not managed to see past the man's boring exterior during the interview, but now was not the time for self-recrimination. Now, he had to be totally focused on rescuing the young officer who was in danger because of his lack of forethought.

Step by careful step, Steve led Yuri through the trees and shrubs towards the light that shone brightly in the star-shot darkness. There was no moon to help their passage and carrying a flashlight was definitely out of the question. Several times, the hint of something indefinable in the air caused Steve to pause, his hand out to prevent movement or speech from the man following behind him. Each time, there was nothing there and they cautiously moved forward again.

When Steve finally reached a position where he could see the scene playing out in front of them, he wanted to throw caution to the wind and race out to rescue Danny in a rush reminiscent of the cavalry in old Westerns. It was only with extreme difficulty that he stopped himself doing so, for he did not yet know if Kono and Chin were in position and since there was a knife currently pointed right at Danny's stomach, he did not want to do anything that would precipitate an unwanted move on the part of Lee Wing Po, who was wielding the knife.

"What are you waiting for?" Yuri asked, his voice little more than a breath of air.

"The right time," Steve replied, equally quietly. He placed a finger over his lips, knowing that the 's' sound of a 'shh' would carry on the air. Yuri subsided, although he looked extremely unhappy.

The faintest of movements signalled the arrival of his detectives at the other side of the yard. Steve took another long look. Danny was tied to a post almost equidistant from both sets of detectives. It was impossible to tell what condition he was in, but with Po and another man looming over him, Steve was willing to bet that Danny was not in the best of health. However, getting to Danny was going to be a problem because of the proximity of the other men. Steve did not want to shoot and risk hitting Danny. He had no idea what kind of marksman Yuri was and had no way to signal to Kono and Chin which man he wanted them to take down. Danny would die for sure if both sets of detectives focused on the same man.

As that thought went through his mind, they got a stroke of unbelievable luck. The second man crouched by Danny rose to his feet and walked over towards the house. That took him closer to Kono and Chin and Steve knew that they had to act and had to act now. Seeing Po straighten up, Steve tapped Yuri's arm and burst out of his cover. "Police! Freeze!"

An echoing shout reached Steve's ears, but he was focused entirely upon Po. The wily old man was frozen for the moment, but Steve knew he had not become rich and powerful without being able to think on his feet. Steve cocked his weapon, aiming at Po's arm. He could only hope that Yuri was aiming for Po's body.

In the next instant, Po was in action. He threw the knife he was holding at Steve and dropped to the ground, snatching up another implement that was lying out of sight behind Danny's legs. Steve fired, knowing that he was a heartbeat too late. His shot missed, but Po was luckier. The knife sliced agonisingly across Steve's arm and his gun dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers.

There was no shot from Yuri, but Steve didn't have time to think about that. He ignored his fallen weapon and charged across the yard like a line-backer blocking a winning touchdown. With his long legs, he covered the short distance in a matter of seconds and threw himself upon Po, heedless of the fact he was bleeding or that the other man had some kind of weapon in his hands.

There was an almost audible crunch as Steve and Po hit the ground. The weapon that Po had was another knife, this one a Bowie. Steve knew he had to take control of it at once and he punched Po viciously, allowing his anger free rein just for a few moments. Po was not going down easily, though and they rolled back and forth, Steve always regaining the upper hand, for several minutes before he finally managed to knock the weapon from the man's hand and subdue him.

"Boss!" It was Chin and the Chinese detective looked distressed. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Steve panted, although he knew it wasn't true. "Cuff him, Chin. Book him." He was too winded to try and think what the charges might be, but they would doubtless come to him in a minute. Clutching his injured arm, Steve staggered to his feet and drew in several deep breaths. He would be sore come the morning, he knew. However now, his priority was not himself. He glanced over at where Danny was still a prisoner.


	13. Chapter 13

The younger man was barely recognisable. His face was swollen and covered with red blotches that Steve knew would turn into ugly bruises over the next few hours. There was a gash on his right cheekbone that was bleeding freely. A smaller cut on the left cheek still trickled a thin stream of blood. His nose and mouth were blood stained, too and his eyes were swelling shut. Duct tape wrapped around his throat kept his head erect and his bare torso was also stained with blood. "Help me," Steve ordered and dropped to his knees beside the unconscious detective.

Hands were there helping him at once and Steve realised it was Kono. The big Hawaiian was incredibly gentle as he cut through the tape and ropes that kept Danny captive. Steve was there to catch the younger man in his arms and he was alarmed at the heat of Danny's skin. "We need an ambulance," he declared.

"Chin called for one," Kono informed his boss, stripping off his jacket and gently placing it over Danny. "He's awful hot, boss."

"I know," Steve agreed. He could also feel the clinging wetness of the stained and dirty pyjama bottoms. "He's been soaked through and Doc thought he might be coming down with something before he was taken." He glanced down at Kono. "What are you doing?"

"You bleeding too, boss," Kono reminded him, trying to bind his handkerchief around Steve's forearm.

"It's fine," Steve protested.

"It isn't," Yuri added. He looked down his nose at where Steve sat with Danny in his arms. "Shouldn't you lay him down? You're getting covered in blood. And that arm looks serious."

"Did you get my weapon?" Steve enquired, ignoring the suggestions. "And who was that other man?"

"That's An Sung," Kono replied, giving up his attempt to fix Steve's arm. The boss simply wasn't cooperating. "He's Po's brother-in-law."

"Where are they?" Steve asked, because they had gone from shouting the usual abuse to absolutely silent.

"Inside," Yuri replied.

"Well keep an eye on them!" Steve barked, annoyed that he had lost track of what was going on. His wound was not that serious; he should have been able to keep up with proceedings. Looking put out, Yuri obeyed. Steve lifted his gaze from the injured young man in his arms to meet Kono's eyes. "He's got to go," he declared.

"Won't get no argument from us, boss," Kono grinned. "He's one useless haole."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The ambulance and HPD backup took too long to arrive in Steve's opinion, but since they were well off the beaten track, they had actually made good time. Against his will, Steve went in the ambulance with Danny. He insisted he was fine, but the wound on his arm bled persistently and although he hated to admit it, he felt less than stellar. It had, after all, been barely more than 24 hours since he had sustained a mild concussion and the throbbing headache and stiff neck were getting harder and harder to ignore. The other thing he didn't want to admit was his deep concern about Danny Williams. The young detective had regained consciousness shortly after his rescue and had initially panicked. It had taken Steve and Kono several moments to get him calmed down and Steve had continued to hold him as Danny began to shiver uncontrollably, groaning with each breath. He tried to tell Steve what had happened, but talking was clearly an ordeal.

As Williams was loaded into the ambulance, Steve issued some orders to Yuri and the others. "Tear this place apart," he instructed. "Every nook and cranny. Dismantle it if you have to. There will be more to find here to tie Po into the drugs racket."

"Sure thing, boss," Kono nodded, looking as though he relished the task. Chin nodded, back to his usual clam self now that he knew Steve and Danny would be all right. "We need to talk," Steve informed Yuri. "Tomorrow."

"Yes, tomorrow," Yuri agreed stiffly.

"Come on, bruddah," Kono urged, clapping a large hand on Yuri's shoulder and almost causing the older man's knees to buckle. "Let's get your hands dirty."

As Steve climbed into the ambulance, he was amused to see an expression of distaste cross Yuri's face as Kono steered him towards the house.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The wound on his arm was quite deep and long, but there was no serious underlying damage. It was cleaned and carefully stitched closed and Steve drifted slightly on a haze of painkillers. His headache had receded to a manageable level and exhaustion was taking over. He had exerted himself too much after the concussion and he had been told that he was facing 24 hours of bed rest, on pain of death. Bergman wasn't the doctor treating him, but had issued the threat with such deadly seriousness that Steve was inclined to believe him and had capitulated. Of course, since he wanted Danny in Bergman's capable hands, he would have agreed to almost anything.

He was settled into a room and fighting off sleep before Bergman reappeared. "How's Danno?" he asked.

"All things considered, he could be a lot worse," Bergman replied. "He has serious abrasions on his wrists and ankles. I've taken stitches on the cuts on his face. His nose is not broken, but he's going to have a couple of black eyes. I took a stitch in his lower lip, too. That cracked rib is now broken but not displaced. However, it looks like my earlier guess was right; he has pneumonia. I've started him on a potent IV antibiotic. With that broken rib, we have to treat this aggressively. Coughing will just aggravate everything, so I'm keeping him on a high dependency ward for now on fill oxygen support."

"But he will be all right?" Steve demanded. It all sounded rather dire when laid out as starkly as that.

"Pneumonia is never good news, but Danny is in tip-top condition and we have caught this quite quickly," Bergman considered. "I don't anticipate anything other than a full recovery. He is going to be here for a while though."

"Good. Mahalo, Doc," Steve sighed.

"And you are going to remain in that bed for 24 hours at least," Bergman added sternly.

"As long as no crisis arises," Steve agreed sleepily. And with that proviso, the medic had to be content.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The 24 hours of bed rest started quite well. Steve got a solid 8 hours sleep, something that was almost unheard of. After that, he began to feel restless and persuaded his nurse that a shower wouldn't do him any harm. She then had to fight to get him back into the bed and it was difficult to judge which of them was happier when his phone began to ring. It was just after 9am.

"Steve, how are you?"

"Governor! I'm fine, thank you," Steve replied, surprised that the Governor was phoning so early. "What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Steve I've received a complaint against you," Jameson told him.

"Who have I offended this time?" Steve sighed. A complaint lodged against him with the Governor was hardly something new, but it always had to be dealt with.

"Yuri Adamson."

"What?" Steve was already throwing back the covers and climbing out of bed.

"He claims that you are deliberately undermining his authority within Five-O and hampering his career." There was a hint of dry amusement in Jameson's voice. "Now, I know you, Steve. Have you told him he's an idiot?"

"Actually, just for once I haven't, Sir," Steve replied, shrugging into his shirt with the phone cradled between his shoulder and ear. "Nor have I told him the truth, which is that he is more than an idiot, he is a liability!"

"Well, whatever the cause, I think you need to do something about it sooner rather than later," Jameson advised. "He's talking about an unfair dismissal tribunal."

"He hasn't been dismissed," Steve snapped. He wondered if the Governor could hear the word 'yet' in the air as clearly as Steve could.

"But he seems to think it is simply a matter of time and claims that he has not yet had enough time in the job to prove himself." Jameson sighed. "Look, Steve, I know how difficult it has been to replace Rob, but is Adamson right? Are you going to replace him?"

"Yes, I am," Steve admitted. "He is excellent with paperwork, but if it had been left up to him, Danny Williams would have died at the hands of Lee Wing Po last night." Steve took a deep breath to try and control his temper. "He has been obstructive throughout this whole case and extremely vocal in his disapproval of Williams, who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to get the evidence we required to shut down this drug ring and bring Po to justice and also to save my life at the risk of his own. It appears to me that he is jealous of Williams for reasons that I cannot fathom, unless it is that he understands that Williams has more talent in his little finger than Adamson has in his whole body!"

"Speak your mind, why don't you," the Governor teased. "I thought he was jealous of Danny, too. How is Danny? I hear it was touch and go last night."

"Bergman says he should be all right once he gets rid of the pneumonia," Steve replied. "So who told you about last night? Apart from Yuri that is?"

"One of your other pet favourites," Jameson mused. "How come you're calling Danny 'Danno'?"

Perplexed as to where the name – nickname – had come from Steve replied, "I honestly don't know. Perhaps it was something I heard one time. It has nothing to do with favouritism," he added tartly. "After all, Kono and Chin don't have nicknames."

The Governor laughed. "No, I know," he agreed. "However, you can kind of see what Adamson means, can't you?"

"It's ridiculous," Steve scoffed.

"Yes, it is," Jameson agreed. "Anyway, I thought I would give you the head's up so you can go and sort this mess out before Adamson decides to go to the press with it."

"Thank you, Sir. I'll sort it out at once," Steve promised and Jameson was glad he was not the recipient of Steve's ire.


	14. Chapter 14

After a lightning fast trip to his apartment to change into fresh clothes, Steve walked into the office shortly before 10.30am. "Steve! What are you doing here?" May cried, leaping to her feet to rush over and greet him. "How are you?" She looked up anxiously into his face.

"I'm fine, love," Steve assured her, although his arm was rather sore. "Where is everyone?" he asked, for his detectives' cubicles were all empty.

"Chin and Kono are down at the lab," May replied. "I don't know where Mr Adamson is."

"Mr Adamson?" Steve echoed, for May had always called the detectives by their first names. Although Chin and Kono often called Steve 'boss', it was by their own choosing. When Steve had started Five-O, he recognised that the military discipline he was used to would not work in this new unit. Nor did he want the men to address him as 'sir'; for such a small unit to work to its maximum potential, they had to be a team. To that end, he insisted his detectives call him by his Christian name and they all bore the same rank – detective – although Steve was the lead detective. To work well, all the members of the unit – and that included the secretaries – had to be friendly.

Clearly miffed, May sniffed, "That's what he said I have to call him now."

"I'll talk to him," Steve promised. "Could you get on to dispatch and ask them to get him on the radio and tell him to return to the Palace?"

"Of course, Steve," May smiled. She picked up the receiver and began to dial the familiar number. Steve went on into his office.

To say that Steve was angry with Yuri was something of an understatement. He couldn't believe how badly he had misjudged the man's character. He had certainly never realised that he carried such a chip on his shoulder. Sitting down, Steve thought about what he had learned about his new second in the last few days and wondered if he would be able to coach the man into becoming the kind of detective he needed for the unit. He weighed up Yuri's strengths against his weaknesses and realised that he wouldn't be able to make Yuri the kind of man he needed. Sighing, he went out to get some coffee and May informed him that Yuri was on the way back to the Palace.

While he waited for Yuri to arrive, Steve went over the messages in his IN box and gave May some instructions about dealing with them. His coffee was gone and he was pouring a second cup when Yuri came in. "Come into the office, please," Steve ordered in as dispassionate a tone as he could manage. "No calls, May, unless its really urgent."

"Right, Steve." May avoided looking at Yuri.

This was never going to be an easy interview, but staring at Yuri's closed, uncommunicative face, Steve realised it was going to be even more difficult than he expected it to be. "You complained to the Governor that you thought I was going to dismiss you. Why?"

"It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that you are going to offer this position to that kid Williams," Yuri replied. "You have constantly undermined my authority and the other two detectives treat me like some kind of joke. I have done a good job for this unit and I will fight dismissal with every tool I have to hand. I have even spoken to my union representative this morning."

"Your union representative has no say in the hiring or firing of personnel in this unit," Steve told him. "I have the final and only say."

"You might find that doesn't hold water if this goes to court," Yuri threatened.

"Have you read the Five-O mandate?" Steve asked. He had required that Yuri did that before he took the job.

"It could easily be overturned by a judge," Yuri shot back. "The Governor had no right to create a unit that had only one person in charge of hiring and firing."

"He's the Governor," Steve reminded his subordinate. "Do you really think he would have done something like that if it was unlawful?"

"You're a friend of his!" Yuri shouted. "Of course he's going to give you what you want!"

So far, Steve had managed to keep his temper, but now, it was released. "A friend of his? Really? Is that what you think?" Steve was on his feet, pacing. "I am an employee of the State of Hawaii, just as you are," he shouted. "I happen at the moment to have the right to hire and fire anyone in this unit at will, but the Governor could close this unit down tomorrow! He is my superior, not my friend. I dance to the same rules as everyone else! When I brought you on board in this unit, I made it quite clear what I expected of you and you assured me that you would be up to speed in no time. So far, the only thing you appear to have mastered is the paperwork. You need flair and dedication to be in this unit. You need to go above and beyond and think outside of the box. You need to remember that we are here to serve the people of this state."

"And how were we serving them by going on that illegal jaunt last night to rescue Williams' sorry ass?" Yuri shouted right back. "Where did it get us?"

"It got us Lee Wing Po and his right-hand man!" Steve bellowed. "It saved the life of a fellow officer! I told you that we sometimes go beyond the things HPD do – you were told about that! Don't you remember? Or did you not believe me?"

"I believe that you're a megalomaniac," Yuri retorted more quietly. "You're drunk on power. You want to be king of this unit and you only want yes men working with you." As Steve gaped at him, stunned at the accusation, Yuri rose. "Here's what I propose," he went on. "I say part of the unit, but I deal with all the paperwork. You and the other two do all the boring legwork and take the risks. That way, we have the best of both worlds."

"You are mad," Steve declared. "You are suspended indefinitely. Clear your desk. I want you out of here in the next half hour. I will speak to Chief Dann at HPD to see if he wants you back and you may transfer back without any harm to your career. However, if you go ahead with any of the wild threats you just made, you will find yourself not only unemployed, but unemployable on this rock. If you try to take me on, you will find yourself the loser."

"Is that a threat?" Yuri snapped, clearly shaken.

Steve smiled. His smile had as much warmth in it as a shark's smile did. "Oh no," he replied silkily. "That is a promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Leaving his office door open so that he could witness for himself Yuri's departure, Steve fulfilled his side of the bargain by phoning Chief Dann and asking about transferring Yuri back. Dann's reluctance spoke volumes to Steve and he wondered who had been lying to him about Yuri's credentials for this job, because someone clearly had. He alluded to that in the conversation with Dann and it was clear from the chief's demeanour that he got the message loud and clear.

The outer office door opened and Chin and Kono came in. They looked pleased with themselves, but the looks gave way to confusion as they realised that Yuri was packing his stuff. The confusion gave way to a shared grin of delight which was instantly eclipsed by the neutral expression that all cops had to learn. There was the glimmer of eye contact with May, then the two detectives edged around Yuri's cubicle as though it was contaminated and entered the big office.

"We hit pay dirt last night, boss," Kono announced. "We found drugs built into the walls of Po's house and Che says he tested positive for having handled drugs. His clothes were covered in traces, as was his skin. Now that Po is under arrest, his lackeys are singing like canaries." There was decided satisfaction in the big man's tones and Steve could not blame him for that.

"Good work," he praised and saw both men stand a little taller. Was he a tyrant after all, he wondered. He gazed at both his men with more than his usual alertness and saw nothing in their demeanour that indicated they were afraid of him. In fact, both gazes were filled with what he termed friendliness and others might well call affection.

"Are you all right, Steve?" Chin asked.

"I'm fine, thank you," Steve replied. "Chin, for the moment, I would like you to act up as second. I appreciate that you have family commitments to fulfil, but at the moment, I could use your help. If you feel you could take on the position permanently, please let me know. I would be delighted, but I understand where you are in relation to doing that."

"Of course, Steve," Chin agreed.

Movement at the office door took Steve's attention and the other two detectives turned around to see Yuri standing there, glaring at them all. "I'm leaving now," he declared, "but you will be hearing from me before the end of the day, McGarrett. You can count on that."

"Believe me, I look forward to it," Steve replied.


	15. Chapter 15

There was quite a lot to do over the course of the day. May hovered over Steve, insisting that he eat, and rest after lunch. He hated to admit to being less than 100% fit, but the last couple of days had taken their toll on his energy reserves and he fell asleep almost the moment he lay down. The nap did him good and he felt much better when he woke up and tackled the inevitable paperwork with more vigour.

Yuri's backlash came in the late afternoon. Steve received a phone call, 'requesting' him to go at once to a meeting in the Governor's office. Steve went over, recognising the tone of the request which was really an order. He wasn't surprised to find not only the Governor but Walter Stuart, the Attorney General, there along with Yuri, a representative of the police union and a lawyer.

The meeting was short. Yuri started blustering almost at once, was silenced by the lawyer and the union rep who both looked embarrassed and the lawyer took charge. "We have reason to believe that my client has been unfairly treated by Mr McGarrett in relation to being hired at Five-O," he muttered. "He is being dismissed without being given a reasonable amount of time to adjust."

"Has your client allowed you to see the contract?" Steve asked.

"Um, yes," the lawyer nodded.

"In that case, I fail to see what you hope to accomplish here," Steve replied. "It says quite clearly that I can hire anyone and if they do not measure up, I can let them go. It is not as if your client does not have a job to return to. HPD is more than happy to welcome him back into their ranks." That was not strictly true. Dann had said he would take Yuri, but he wasn't happy about it. "Five-O is a high pressured job. Someone who does not fit the profile will be a liability. I do not want anyone killed because one of the officers is not up to the job."

"You can't say that Mr Adamson is not up to the job," the lawyer objected.

"Actually, under the terms by which the State Police Unit was set up, he can," Stuart noted calmly. "I'm sure you noticed that when you read the contract." He watched the lawyer for a moment before switching his gaze to Yuri. "I understand that you are suspended at the moment, Mr Adamson," Stuart went on blandly. "Do you think there is some legal loophole to prevent that happening? No? I believe this meeting is over then. When Mr McGarrett decides to end your suspension, you will be transferred back to HPD effective at once. There is precedence for this, as it has happened several times over the last what – eight months or so?"

"You can't do this!" Yuri shouted. "I'll go to the media!"

At once, the union rep tried to shush the detective. The man looked mortified and had done throughout the whole meeting.

"If that should happen," Stuart warned, his voice cold and deadly, "you will not only remain suspended but depending upon what you say, you might also be liable to prosecution, there might be a custodial sentence involved and you will certainly be fired. Is that really what you want?"

The lawyer was whispering frantically in Yuri's ear, his hand clasping Yuri's arm in a white-knuckled grip. After several long moments, and a further shake of Yuri's arm, Yuri gave a curt nod. "My client doesn't want to cause any trouble," the lawyer bleated.

"Of course, if you would like to re-think your career and take retirement, I am sure that HPD will have no problems with your decision," Stuart said smoothly. "If that is the course that you choose, you would be bound by the contracts you have signed concerning the passing on of information, as all retired police officers are." He smiled sweetly.

"Thank you," the lawyer stuttered and started to drag Yuri towards the door.

"I hate you, McGarrett," Yuri declared from just inside the door. "I really hate you." He shook off the lawyer's hand. "I could have really made something of Five-O, you know," he went on. "I'd have got rid of those clowns you hired and really put this unit on the map. I could have made it something."

There were several things Steve wanted to say in response to that, and he didn't need warning glances from the Governor and Stuart to prevent him from saying them. He could, with a few words, have destroyed Yuri Adamson professionally and personally, but he didn't. As well as rage, he felt pity for the man who was so deluded that he thought he could hold the state police unit to ransom. Yuri had been a mistake on Steve's part and he was able to admit that. However, he silently vowed that he would not make another mistake.

Seeing that he was not going to be able to provoke an answer, Yuri left, slamming the door behind him. For a moment, the three men left in the office stood still, then the Governor sat down and gestured to the others to do the same. "Well, I'm glad that is over," he declared.

"Yes, thank you," Steve agreed. "I appreciate the show of support." He had called them earlier in the day to apprise them both of the situation. The Governor, of course, already knew part of the story.

"What are you going to do now, Steve?" Stuart asked. "Hire someone else?"

"I think we need to let the dust settle first," Steve replied. "Chin has agreed to act up for a while. Unfortunately, he doesn't want the job full time, but it will allow us all to find our feet again."

"Good thinking," the Governor approved. "Keep me apprised."

"Of course, Sir." Steve took the hint and left. He walked slowly back to the Palace and found Chin, Kono and May waiting impatiently to find out what had happened. He updated them, thanked them for their support and advised them that they would be a man down for a short time – again. All three shrugged cheerfully and May suggested they all go home. Just for once, Steve did not argue.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was good to hear over the next few days that Danny Williams was making a good recovery from his injuries. The antibiotics had overcome the pneumonia and the word was that he would get home in a few days. That prompted Steve to start thinking and he called Kono in.

"I don't want Williams going back to that studio apartment," he told the younger man. "Find out from him where the apartment was that he was looking at and let me know. The least we can do is get him somewhere decent to live. I'll pay the deposit, but I don't want him to know."

"Sure thing, Steve," Kono replied enthusiastically.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You gonna get yourself a new place?" Kono asked. Danny was sitting in a chair, looking a lot better.

"I can't afford it," Danny sighed. "When I went into plainclothes, I had to buy myself some suits," he explained. "That wiped out the little money I had for a deposit. I guess I just have to start saving again." He tried to sound philosophical, but it was hard. He had scrimped and saved so hard to pay off the student loans and then to get his deposit that it was difficult to accept that he was no further forward than he had been two years ago.

"Where were you looking at?" Kono asked.

"You know that new apartment block downtown with its own private beach?" Danny replied. "I was looking at a place in there."

"It looks nice," Kono agreed. "Too bad, man."

"Yeah," Danny sighed and Kono felt a surge of pleasure that Steve was going to do something so big for his friend. "Kono, I hate to ask, but when I get out of here, is there any chance you could take me home?"

"Sure thing, bruddah," Kono agreed. "Say – if you give me your keys, I could get you some fresh clothes?"

"That would be good, thanks," Danny agreed and handed his keys over without a single moment's suspicion. Kono wanted to laugh out loud, but managed to keep his joy at the ease with which Danny had trusted him under wraps.

"When does Doc say you can get out of here?" Kono asked.

"At the weekend," Danny fretted. "I want to go home now." He sighed. "The weekend is three days away."

"Well, it ain't like you'd be doing anything much at home, is it?" Kono argued, trying to make his friend look on the bright side. "You can't surf with broken ribs, or swim much, come to that."

"I could look at the girls," Danny retorted defensively.

"Plenty of pretty nurses in here, bruddah," Kono reminded him. "Or have you lost your touch?"

"Yeah, keep dreaming," Danny smiled. "Say, Kono, a couple of the guys were in here earlier. What this I hear about Mr Adamson leaving Five-O?"

"It's true," Kono confirmed. "He and da boss … well, let's just say they didn't get on."

"I heard more than that," Danny cajoled. "I heard he was suspended. I also heard my name was connected to it. Is that true?" He looked uncomfortable. "I would hate for someone to lose their job over something that I did."

"Ain't nuthin' to do with dat," Kono assured him. "Yuri and da boss been butting heads for the last few weeks and dis case was the final straw." He patted Danny's arm in a clumsy show of support. "Not your fault, bruddah."

"I hope not," Danny sighed.


	16. Chapter 16

"Where are we going?" Danny asked, suddenly realising that they were headed in a different direction than his apartment lay in.

"Home," Kono answered innocently.

"I don't live out here," Danny reminded Kono, regret clear in his voice. "I couldn't afford it, remember?"

"Yeah, I remember," Kono replied. He blithely continued to drive on and in a few minutes pulled into the parking garage of the apartment building. Danny's ramshackle old truck was parked in one of the slots, looking somewhat out of place with the sleeker cars that were parked in the other slots.

"What is this?" Danny asked, baulking as Kono attempted to help him out of the car. "I don't live here, Kono! Why are you doing this? Rubbing it in that I'm so hard up?" Danny was angry that his friend was doing this to him.

"Just come with me," Kono coaxed. "Honestly, Danny, everything's going to be all right. Trust me." Kono fixed limpid brown eyes on the shorter, slighter man and after a moment, he grinned. "Or I could just pick you up and carry you," he added.

"I'm coming," Danny sighed, easing out of the car. He felt miles better, but getting out of hospital reminded him that he was still a long way from being back at full strength and he wanted nothing more than to go home and collapse into bed. This side trip was taking a lot out of him. He was grateful to find that there was an elevator.

It stopped on the fourth floor and Kono confidently led the way along the corridor. Danny trailed behind, feeling his stamina draining away with every step. He watched as Kono produced keys – on Danny's own keychain, he noted with astonished indignation – and opened the door into the very apartment Danny had set his heart on a few months ago. Moving very slowly, Danny followed Kono inside and stopped. "What…?" His eyes were riveted to his surfboard, which leaned casually against the wall.

"This is yours, bruddah," Kono announced, looking very pleased with himself.

"But how?" Danny gasped. "I couldn't afford the deposit…"

"Just listen, bruddah," Kono instructed him. "Here, sit down. You look a bit pale." He helped Danny into the nearest easy chair. "The deposit and first six months' rent is taken care of." He put his hand up to stop the outburst he knew was coming. Danny had his pride, after all. "The person who did this knows that you want to pay your own way, but this person also wants you to have a nice place to come home to. This person knows you've had a hard time lately and says you ain't to worry about paying them back. In a couple of months when you're back on your feet, then you can start paying the money back, bit by bit. You can give the money to me and I'll see it gets into the right hands."

"I can't accept," Danny replied, shaking his head. "It's far too much." It was everything he wanted and he longed to accept, but he didn't see how he could.

"You can," Kono advised him. "You should; you must; you will. Danny, you been real sick, bruddah. Going back to that studio wouldn't do you no good. Come on, man; you seen the rats that live there. You want to get sick again?"

That was quite a consideration. Danny did indeed know about the rats infesting his former building. He had not had any problems with them, but that was down to luck. "No," Danny agreed and Kono could hear that he was breaking down Danny's will.

"Bruddah, you turn this down and go back, you pupule," he declared and he wasn't joking. "This is your chance to get out of there and this ain't charity. You can pay the person back and you won't be paying no interest, either. Danny, say yes."

"You know this person?" Danny queried.

"I do."

"And knowing them, you advise me to accept?"

"Yes." Kono knew when to push and when to keep his mouth shut. This was one time he was keeping quiet.

Looking around, Danny saw that his own belongings were carefully placed here and there to make the place seem more homely. This living room was as big as the whole of his studio apartment had been. The kitchen was separated from the living room by a breakfast bar. There were floor to ceiling windows down one side and there was a small lanai off them. Not realising he was moving, Danny walked over to the door he saw on the opposite wall. It led into a small hall. From there, one door led into a bathroom and the other into a generously sized bedroom. There was a cupboard with double doors in the hallway and Danny opened it to find a boiler and shelving space. He wandered into the bedroom and saw there was a lanai outside the bedroom windows. It was everything he had dreamed of and all he needed. His pride still said he ought to reject the help, but another part of his mind told him he would be mad to reject this gift, not to mention downright rude. He had dreaded the thought of returning to his old place.

Turning around, he saw Kono watching him through the hall door. "Okay, I accept," he smiled.

"Yeah!" Kono hurried over, intending to thump Danny on the back, but remembering at the last moment about the healing ribs and so contented himself with pumping the other man's hand. "Good decision, bruddah," he praised. "I put your cooking stuff in the kitchen cupboards out of the way and your clothes are in the cases there. I hung your suits up; we wouldn't want them getting wrinkled."

"Kono, thanks. Thanks a lot." Danny looked around. He would have time to make the place his own. "Oh no! I forgot! I don't have any food."

"Sure you do, bruddah," Kono insisted and led Danny into the kitchen and showed him the well-stocked store cupboards and fridge. "This is from Chin, May and me," he told his stunned friend. "Just a little housewarming and get well soon present."

"This is too much," Danny protested.

"No, bruddah, it ain't," Kono assured him. He beamed at the success of Steve's scheme. "You deserve it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Steve, Dan Williams is here to see you," May reported.

More than a week had passed since Kono had taken Danny home. Steve wondered why the young detective had come to see him, but he wasn't particularly interested in the paperwork he was doing, so he thought he might as well take this break and then tackle the paperwork with renewed energy. Well, it sounded good, even if he knew it would never happen. "Send him in," he replied and put down his pen.

There was a brisk knock on the door and Danny entered the big office. He looked a lot better than the last time Steve had seen him. The bruising on his face was gone, the stitches were out and he was moving quite easily. "Danno!" Steve exclaimed, rising to his feet and extending his hand. "Good to see you. Have a seat. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you," Danny replied, seating himself just gingerly enough to remind Steve that broken ribs didn't completely heal in only two weeks.

"So what can I do for you, Danno?" Steve asked, smiling.

"I came to thank you for paying my deposit and rent," Danny replied. "I don't have the money to repay you straight away, but I promise that I will pay you back as quickly as I can."

"I don't know what you mean," Steve said pleasantly. "I'm flattered that you think it was me…"

"With all due respect," Danny interrupted, "it had to be you. I don't know anyone else who could afford to do that for me. Apart from you, Chin and Kono, the only other people who had seen my old apartment were Duke Lukela and Lew Morgan. Duke has a young family and Lew never has much money."

"Lew?" Steve queried.

"Officer Lew Morgan," Danny explained. "We were at high school together. I went off to university, but Lew joined the force right out of school. But if it had been either Duke or Lew, they would have just come to me with the money. So that leaves you or some mysterious stranger who took a bizarre fancy to me on the street." He looked expectantly at Steve. "So thank you once more. It doesn't seem like enough, but it's all I can say."

"Well, I'm impressed by your deductive reasoning," Steve complimented him. "Very well, I'll confess my guilt. Don't blow it out of proportion, though. It isn't that big a deal."

"It is a big deal to me," Danny corrected him. "It would have taken me months to save enough for another deposit and maybe longer to find a suitable apartment. I really can't thank you enough. Mahalo nui loa, Steve."

"It was the least I could do," Steve replied. "Your hard work undercover blew the case wide open for us. You put your own life at risk to save mine. I'm not sure I thanked you for doing that, so this really was the least I could do for you."

"Mahalo," Danny repeated. "I will pay you back as quickly as I can."

"Don't even think about starting to pay me back until you're back on full pay after medical leave, Danno," Steve instructed him. "There's no rush."

"Can I ask you something?" Danny asked after a moment.

"Of course," Steve responded, wondering what was on the young man's mind.

"Why do you call me 'Danno'?"

There was that question again. Steve could feel his face heating up. He had simply dismissed the question before, but this time he gave it some serious thought and came up blank again. "I don't know," he admitted. "Perhaps I heard someone being called that once; I genuinely have no idea and I'm not aware that I'm doing it. I'm sorry; I'll try not to."

"I don't mind," Danny assured him. He seemed as though he actually meant what he said and wasn't being polite simply because Steve was an important man and Danny owed him a huge favour.

"You don't?" Steve was slightly surprised. "There's no need to be polite. I'd rather you just tell me if it bugs you."

"It really doesn't bother men," Danny insisted, his cheeks flushing slightly. He bit his lip for a moment, then confessed, "My mother used to call me 'Danno'."

"Really?" Steve didn't want to appear disingenuous, so didn't add anything that would imply that he was unaware of Danny's past.

That one word opened the flood gates and Danny quietly told Steve about the loss of his parents. "I was turning into a bad kid for a while," he concluded, "but sending me to the mainland for a while helped settle me down."

"Do you have any relatives at all?" Steve asked, hoping the younger man wouldn't mind his questions.

"I have an aunt on the East Coast," Danny replied. "At the time of the accident, she was in Europe and I didn't have any details for her. By the time she returned to the US, I was back on the island and settled into school again and Aunt Clara decided not to disrupt things by taking me away when I was settled down again."

"Are you still in contact with your foster family?" Steve asked. Danny seemed so alone.

"No," he replied in a matter of fact tone. "Once I left for university that was it. They were good to me, but they weren't ohana." Many people in Danny's shoes would have sounded self-pitying, but Danny didn't.

"Ohana – that means family, yes?" Steve was still trying to get to grips with his Hawaiian vocabulary, but he was pretty sure of his translation on this word.

"Yes." With care, Danny rose to his feet and extended his hand to Steve. "I won't waste any more of your time. Thank you once again, Steve."

"You're welcome," Steve replied warmly, shaking Danny's hand.


	17. Chapter 17

While it seemed that Yuri had made the transition back to HPD without a problem, Steve gradually became aware of an undercurrent of bad feeling towards Five-O. A couple of times, officers were rather rude to him and once or twice were slow and obviously reluctant to obey the orders they were given. It was all horribly reminiscent of when Five-O had been set up and resentment ran high. Steve had worked hard to smooth things over and he didn't want them to backslide.

"What's causing the problem, Duke?" Steve asked when they met at a crime scene. "Is it Yuri?"

"I have to be honest and say I don't know," Duke admitted. "Everyone knows I work with you regularly so I'm not hearing the scuttlebutt."

"I need to know," Steve sighed, frustrated. "I can't even think about recruiting someone with this kind of bad feeling."

"It could be that the recruitment is causing the problems," Duke theorised. "You haven't chosen anyone and it's no secret that you're considering hiring someone from the mainland."

"I've had applications from the mainland," Steve corrected him. "That doesn't mean I'm considering them." He wondered how that news had gotten out.

"Would you?" Duke pushed. "Take someone from the mainland, I mean."

"Right now – no," Steve replied. "But if I can't find someone soon, I might have to consider it seriously."

"Maybe you're looking in the wrong place," Duke suggested.

"What does that mean?" Steve demanded.

"You're looking for a second," Duke replied. "Why don't you just look for a detective instead?" He walked across to a uniformed officer, leaving Steve with something new to think about.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Danny's back at work," Kono reported, handing Steve an envelope. "He says he's sorry he can't be here to give it to you himself, but he has to renew his weapons certification today."

"Thanks," Steve replied, casually pocketing the envelope. "He won't have any trouble with the recertification will he?"

Kono laughed. "No way, boss," he chortled. "Dat boy – he shoots real good."

"Real good huh?" Steve replied. If he believed everything Kono told him – and he was strongly inclined to do so – 'dat boy' A.K.A Danny Williams was 'real good' at any number of things.

"Boss, he holds the range records in both hand guns and rifles," Kono expanded, clearly stunned that Steve did not know this pertinent fact. "He the man to beat," he added proudly.

"I didn't know that," Steve confessed.

"You should see him, Steve," enthused the big man.

"I might sometime," allowed the boss, assuming the conversation was now over, but Kono hovered. "Something else?" Steve asked.

"Boss, Danny ain't shooting till 11," Kono said earnestly. "Chin and me – we thought we could all go out and see him shoot."

"And we haven't got any work to do?" Steve asked ominously, but Kono was not fazed.

"Dat paperwork always there," he responded a touch gloomily but truthfully.

It was true that they were in something of a lull at the moment. It wouldn't last – it never did – but there was nothing really pressing to be done and dispatch could always get them on the radio. Steve was intrigued now. Clearly there was an ulterior motive here and although Steve thought he might know what it was, he decided to let the scenario play out. So he put on a show of thinking it through and finally nodded. "All right," he agreed. "We'll play hooky for a while."

"I'll get Chin." Kono all but ran out of the office and through the open door, Steve saw him give a thumbs up to May. He pretended not to notice.

This would be interesting.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The open air shooting range was on a breezy hillside and offered a real challenge to marksmen. There were several officers there to take their recertification and Steve saw more than one man give him a speculative glance. He greeted them all affably, by name if he knew them and with a pleasant nod if he did not. He wondered if this jaunt would help or hinder relations between Five-O and HPD.

They had arrived as one set of officers had finished shooting and waited while each man received his scores. They all passed and filed out, clutching precious weapons and the next candidates took their positions.

It was easy to pick out Danny. As it happened, he was the only haole in his group and it was with a distinct sense of surprise that Steve realised how short he was. He knew, of course, that Danny was a lot shorter than he himself was, but as he was quite tall, he hadn't thought much of it. Seeing Danny now, Steve realised that he probably just cleared the height requirement to get on the force.

Donning ear protectors, the candidates loaded their handguns and prepared to fire. Steve kept his eyes on Williams. He appeared to be completely relaxed and when the order came to fire, he shot his clip smoothly, making minute adjustments to his stance that probably went unnoticed to the casual observer.

The order came to put down the guns and there was a short break while the targets were collected. An excited murmur ran through the watchers but they obediently settled as the order came to load the rifles.

Again, Steve watched Danny. He had the same physical ease with the rifle as he had with the hand gun. As the order to fire was given, Danny lifted the rifle to his shoulder, sighted quickly and fired his rounds rapidly. The order came to put down the weapons and everyone took off the ear protectors again as the targets were examined.

More interested than he cared to admit, Steve stepped closer. All of Danny's rifle hits were in the 10 ring apart from one shot which dissected the line separating it from the nine ring. That was very impressive shooting. When the hand gun target was brought over, Steve could see that five of the six shots were clustered around the heart and the sixth was right in the middle of the forehead. "Right on, bruddah!" Kono cried, slapping Danny heartily on the back and almost knocking him over. "Dat was some shooting!"

"I was lucky," Williams denied modestly.

"How often do you practice?" Steve asked.

"Every week at least once if I can. More often if I get the chance," Danny replied. He was surrounded by the other cops, offering praise for his shooting prowess, but all wanting to eavesdrop on the top cop's conversation with him.

Smiling, Steve offered conventional congratulations that did nothing to hide how impressed he was and left, taking Chin and Kono with him. He remained silent on the way back to the Palace. His detectives chattered between themselves about what a good guy Danny was, how smart he was, likeable, talented – a veritable paragon of police virtue. This was clearly a Kono-inspired plan but Chin was willing to go along with it and Duke's words also came back to him. When they reached the office, Steve shut his door, asking May to hold all non-urgent calls and settled in to think.


	18. Chapter 18

When Steve opened the office door about an hour later, Kono and Chin were watching something coming in on the teletype. They both glanced at him, but returned their attention to the machine. Steve hurried over to join them. "Something big?" he asked. The lull, as expected, had not lasted long.

"Bit pilikia from the mainland," Kono replied.

Tearing off the paper, Steve read that a notorious gang leader from California had just been released on bail and was flying to the island to attend the funeral of his mother, who had just died. While the authorities didn't want to let him travel, the gang had already started to manipulate the media, who thought it was disgraceful that he wouldn't be allowed to pay his last respects. Nowhere in the media did it mention that his mother had moved to Hawaii to escape from her son's attempts to poison her. A 'concerned citizen' had gone to court on behalf of this 'poor bereaved man' and the shyster lawyer they had hired had managed to find a bleeding heart judge who ruled that in this case, travel out with the state was acceptable.

"Joey Rivera," Steve mused. "All right, get everyone on high alert. I want him shadowed from the minute he arrives." He glanced at his watch and saw that Rivera's plane was due in about five hours. That gave them some time to set things up. "First, I want to have a talk with you both." He led the way into the office and leaned against the front of his desk. Chin and Kono both took seats. "I thought about what you've been saying, Kono and what you showed me this morning. I am going to offer the place in Five-O to Danny Williams. I am not going to have an official second; we're going to split the duties between us. I gather from what you've said that this won't cause any problems with either of you. We all have to work together and get along and I think that we already know that Danno will fit right in, but if either of you object, I want to know about it now."

From the cheesy grin that Kono was supporting, Steve knew where the big Hawaiian stood on this subject. He turned his attention to Chin. The older man was nodding agreement. "I think that's a good idea, Steve," Chin commented. "Danny knows what he's doing, he's quick to learn and smart with it."

"He da man," Kono agreed. Steve had to smile at that. Kono was acting like the kid's father or older brother.

"So how long have you two and Duke been conspiring to make me think about doing this?" he asked.

"Oh, mau loa," Kono responded blithely and gave Steve another sunlit smile. He realised from his boss's frown that the words meant nothing to him so obliged with a translation. "Forever."

"Forever, huh?" Steve laughed. "You've worn me down." He straightened up and both his detectives rose. "Is Danno working today?"

"Sure, boss. He go on shift this afternoon."

"You'll find me at HPD," Steve announced, gabbed his suit jacket and left at once. There was a lot to do before Rivera's plane arrived in a few hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What?" Chief Dann looked completely non-plussed. "You want to hire Dan Williams? For second?"

"No," Steve repeated with as much patience as he could muster – which wasn't much. "I want to hire him as a detective. I have stopped looking for a second and need to fill the vacant slot at Five-O. Williams has shown his mettle and is more than capable of filling a Five-O slot and that is what is going to happen."

"So who is going to be your second?" Dann asked. "Chin?"

"The duties of second in command will be split amongst the other detectives," Steve replied. "I want the transfer for Williams to go through today. With Rivera coming to the rock in just a couple of hours, I need to concentrate on that. When he reports for duty, send him to the Palace. He can start today."

"You're throwing him in at the deep end," Dann objected.

"I am quite well aware of that," Steve snapped. "I know I am asking a lot of him, but right now we don't have time for a protracted transfer. I need men in place as soon as possible and Williams' place is now in Five-O. Now, is there anything else you need to know about Rivera's arrival?"

Knowing that any more questions about why McGarrett had chosen Williams would only serve to further irritate the Five-O chief, Dann bit back the questions. "No, Steve," he agreed. "I'll get on the deployment right now." But oh boy, he thought, the gossip was going to be rife!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you sure about this, Steve?" the Governor asked.

"Yes, sir," Steve replied through gritted teeth. While the Governor couldn't really veto his choice of detectives, his disapproval could make relations between the two men unpleasant and have consequences for the new hire-e later on.

"I think Danny is an excellent choice," Jameson responded, surprising Steve. "I've been keeping a bit of an eye on him ever since he stopped Kimi from killing me and he seems to be shaping up to be an outstanding officer. I think he'll make you a good second in the fullness of time."

Taken aback by the approbation, Steve blinked. "Thank you, sir." It surprised him that Jameson had guessed what was at the back of his mind. "I hope that he'll be willing to be trained up to become second."

"A lot of people will say he's too young," Jameson reminded Steve. "How old is he? 24?"

"I think so," Steve agreed. "Let them say he's too young. I'd rather have someone young and willing to learn than someone stuck in their ways. Experience comes to us all and he hasn't had the easiest life."

"I quite agree," Jameson nodded. "Bring Danny over once this Rivera business is all settled. In the meantime, I won't keep you."

"Thank you, sir." Steve shook the Governor's hand and took his leave.


	19. Chapter 19

"Me?" Danny gulped and hoped that the word had not sounded as much like a squeak to Chief Dann as it had to him.

"You." Dann was running against time with all the things that had to be in place before Rivera's plan landed in less than two hours and he didn't want to waste too much time with Williams. "McGarrett wants you to report to the Palace immediately." He nodded to Williams. "Better empty your locker," he advised over his shoulder. "I doubt you'll be coming back." There was a hint of bitterness in his tone. He hated that a promising young cop had been snapped up by the state police unit, but he supposed it was inevitable. Anyone with even half an eye could see how good Danny was and how much better he was going to become. Dann had wanted to keep that talent for himself.

Shaking off the stunned immobility, Danny quickly emptied his locker of its few contents. He went into the squad room and took his few personal effects from his desk and glanced around. "See you, Danny," offered one of the detectives and held out his hand. That prompted the others to offer goodbyes in one form or another. Some were friendly, others a bit cold. Danny couldn't blame them. They were all senior to him and must have thought they stood a chance at the vacancy in Five-O. Danny still couldn't believe that he had been chosen. He hoped this wasn't all some elaborate prank as he left HPD headquarters and threw his stuff into his truck.

Nerves were really kicking in as Danny parked at the Palace and made his way inside. He paused for a moment before opening the office door and wiped his palms self-consciously against his pants legs. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door and walked in.

"Danny!" Kono's familiar hail was very welcome. "Good to see you, bruddah!" he cried and gave Danny a slap on the shoulder.

"Danno." Steve appeared at the inner office door. "Welcome. Put your stuff in here and come on into the office," he went on and gestured to the cubicle nearest to his office.

Since he hadn't brought any 'stuff' from the truck with him – he had had no idea what he might need or where he would put anything – Danny simply followed Steve into the inner sanctum. Steve looked pleased at the alacrity with which his new detective had followed orders and gestured to one of the white chairs and closed the door behind Danny. He watched as Danny sat down, then sat down beside him. It was a far cry from the tentative movements of the last time Danny had been in this office.

"Welcome to Five-O, Danno," Steve began.

"Thank you," Danny replied. He still sounded stunned to his own ears. "It was a – shock."

"But in a good way, I hope," Steve responded.

"Oh yes, of course!" Danny exclaimed. He could feel a blush crawling up his neck at his unintentional faux pas. "I can hardly believe it," he went on, hoping that he wouldn't dig a bigger hole for himself. "I thought at first Chief Dann was kidding." He swallowed. "Thank you very much, sir. I hope I don't let you down."

"You won't," Steve replied decisively. "I'm sorry to throw you in at the deep end with this, but as you may or may not know, we are expecting an unwanted guest from the mainland in a little over an hour and we need to be prepared." He quickly outlined the reason for Rivera's visit. "While he might just be coming here to mourn his mother, I have a suspicious mind and suspect that he has other plans. We want a visible presence to remind him that he is on parole and we are watching him." Steve rose. "At the moment, I want you to stick with me." He went over to the desk and withdrew a leather wallet. "This is your badge," he went on. "You will receive one with your name on it, but it has to be ordered. Meantime, this will suffice. Remember that this position gives you authority over all HPD officers, which will be difficult initially, but you can overcome that, I know. I will discuss with you further the associated pay rise and other duties that come with your new post, but obviously there isn't time to discuss that at the moment."

To Steve's gratification, Danny didn't look at all thrown by that barrage of information. He reverently took the badge, examined it closely for a few moments, then folded the leather and put it into his suit jacket pocket. Pride emanated from him and he seemed to stand a little taller.

Following Steve into the outer office, Danny smiled self-consciously at the staff. "I know you all know Danny Williams by sight," Steve said, "and you're going to have plenty of time to get to know him better as he is our newest recruit. Danno, I'm sorry about the informal welcome," Steve went on, putting a hand on Danny's shoulder, "but time is of the essence. Chin, Kono, I want you to trade off on following Rivera from the airport. Danno and I are his official welcoming committee. Let's go."

Smiling at May, who was beaming at him, Danny followed in Steve's footsteps, noticing that Kono and Chin exchanged a glace in which Chin appeared to ask a question and Kono shook his head in reply. He made a mental note to ask what that was about later.

"You'll be issued an official car," Steve explained as they scurried down the steps. "You'll have an official call sign, too…" He paused for a moment as he realised that the vacant Five-O call sign was Five-O-Two, but he resolved that it didn't matter. "But HPD Central tend to call us by our names anyway." His tone registered disapproval of the sloppy protocol, but after several years, he was used to it.

"Um… yeah, I know," Danny agreed. He was well aware of the lack of formality. It didn't bother him at all; he was Hawaii born and bred and it was all second nature to him.

After a moment, it occurred to Steve what he had said and he laughed. "Yeah, I guess you would at that!" They slipped into the car and Steve gunned the engine as they pulled away with a jerk. As they barrelled towards the airport, Danny wished someone had warned him about Steve's driving. He gave up trying to brace himself surreptitiously and openly grabbed the dashboard when he needed to. A sideways glance didn't reveal any signs that Steve had even noticed this behaviour, far less taken offence at it.

"I was impressed with your marksmanship this morning," Steve commented. Was it really only a few short hours ago, he thought? So much had happened in a very short time. "Do you have your own rifle?" he enquired.

"Thank you," Danny replied. "No, I don't," he added regretfully. "I use one of the range rifles to practice with and on the rare occasions that I've been required on scene with a rifle, I've been issued one from the pool. I've never needed to use one yet," he concluded.

"I'm sure that was adequate for HPD," Steve noted, "but now that I've got you on the team, I want you to have your own rifle to be available 24 hours a day; a weapon with which you are completely familiar. I'll get funds issued from the Five-O budget for it. You will choose the weapon and register it in your name. Practice with it as much as you need to and become completely familiar with it. Make sure it comes to work with you and is within easy reach when you are at home. Your skills in this regard are an enormous asset to Five-O."

"Yes, Steve. Thank you." Danny not only sounded dazed, he felt it, too. His own rifle was something else he had been saving towards. He knew exactly what he wanted and to suddenly be given a virtual blank cheque to buy one was overwhelming.

Steve carried on speaking as though he had not said something extraordinary. "There will be quite a few administrative duties I will have to teach you. As you are aware, I don't have a second-in-command at the moment. That may or may not change in the not-too-distant future, but you, Chin and Kono will be sharing the second's paperwork between you."

"Yes, Steve," Danny acknowledged.

"You have equal standing with Chin and Kono," Steve went on. "Chin has been with me longest, so I guess he has seniority should that come up, but otherwise you are all equal. Any problems, come to me first, but if I'm not around, then either Chin or Kono will help."

"Okay."

"Part of being in Five-O is an increased in media scrutiny," Steve elaborated. "There will be a press conference at some point to introduce you, unfortunately. I would prefer that we keep a lower profile, because that would make our job easier, but unfortunately it doesn't work that way. I'm afraid the hours that we work often stink and unless you've booked the holidays off in advance, I can't guarantee you'll get to eat either Thanksgiving or Christmas dinners. One of us is always on call."

"Understood," Danny murmured. He had spent a couple of Christmases with Aunt Clara when at university but only because she had sent him the plane tickets as a gift. Flights to the east coast had not figured in his budget. "that's not a problem." Flights to the east coast still did not figure in his budget.

"I'm not giving you too much information too quickly am I?" Steve asked, flashing a penetrating glance in his direction.

"No," Danny assured him, not sure if he was being altogether truthful.

Returning his gaze to the road, Steve felt a glow of satisfaction. Kono had told Steve that Danny was akamai – smart – and it was good to get the confirmation again. The younger man did not seem overwhelmed or dismayed by the barrage of information Steve had thrown at him.

Coming to a jolting stop at the airport, Steve strode inside with Danny at his side. That also gave Steve a feeling of satisfaction; it suggested to Steve that Danny was not going to be a follower and that was exactly what Steve wanted. His detectives had to be able to work on their own initiatives.

Rivera's flight was on its final approach. They went to the gate and waited there patiently while the plane landed and taxied to a stop. There was a pause as the engines switched off and then the door opened and the steps were pushed into place. Moments later, the passengers began to appear in ones and twos.


	20. Chapter 20

"Joey Rivera?" Steve phrased it as a question, but he knew he had the right man. The grainy photo that had been sent from California over the wire had done full justice to Rivera. He was just as slimy in the flesh as he had appeared in the photo. "McGarrett and Williams, Hawaii Five-O." Steve flashed his badge and Danny, with a feeling of intense pride, flashed his Five-O badge for the first time.

"What do you want?" Rivera growled. He frowned at the curious passengers who slowed their departure to gawk at the scene. "I'm here legitimately to mourn my dear old ma."

"I'm well aware of that," Steve replied. "I'm here to tell you that we're going to be watching you. When is your mother's funeral?" That was a detail Steve already knew, but it was a useful test.

"Day after tomorrow," Rivera offered. "Wanna come?" he sneered.

"Our condolences on your loss," Steve replied. "And we will indeed be present. You must be heartbroken that your mother died of natural causes."

"Course I am," Rivera snarled. "Now get outta my way."

"Officer Williams here will assist you in finding your luggage and make sure you can find a cab," Steve smiled. "How long are you staying in Hawaii?"

"As long as I need to," Rivera answered. "And I don't need some kid helping me with my case." He loomed over the shorter Williams, but Danny wasn't intimidated.

"I insist," Danny stated and saw Steve nod with satisfaction. He waited patiently for Rivera to move off, which the criminal did after a few long minutes of waiting. With a nod to Steve, he followed along close by Rivera, determined not to let the man out of his sight. The luggage was already circling the carousel when they arrived and Danny watched as Rivera picked out three large bags and glanced anxiously around before heading towards the exit. Danny tagged along.

Outside, Danny could see Kono waiting in an unmarked car. There was a short queue for cabs and Rivera joined it, looking annoyed. "Lot of bags for a short stay," Danny remarked.

At once, the taller man pushed his face right up to Danny's. "Mind your own business," he hissed malevolently.

"This is my business, Mr Rivera," Danny retorted. "Take a good look at me. I'll be around a whole lot while you're here." He stood his ground, although Rivera's breath stank of garlic and tobacco. Danny was trying to quit smoking – a habit he had taken up in university – chiefly because a number of girlfriends had told him how revolting tobacco breath was. He fully believed them now. He forced himself to hold his ground.

It was impossible to judge who would have won the battle of wills if the cab driver had not grown tired of waiting for his fare to get in. "You want to go somewhere, bruddah?" he asked and Rivera turned his head and nodded.

"I've got you marked," Rivera told Danny and climbed into the cab without a backward glance. The cab moved off and Kono smoothly pulled into the line of traffic after it. Danny took a few steps away and fumbled for a cigarette. The first day at Five-O was not the time to quit smoking.

"You handled that well," Steve commented from behind Danny and the shorter man turned to look at his new boss.

"I shouldn't have provoked him," Danny apologised.

"You did the right thing," Steve contradicted him. "He does have too many bags for a short stay. That's a clue that he thinks he's staying longer. You were right to call him out on it and remind him that we're watching." He gave the smouldering cigarette a sideways look and Danny hastily stubbed it out. With his pulse rate still up from the confrontation with Rivera, he really needed a smoke, but he didn't quite have the nerve to keep on puffing when Steve was silently indicating that he disapproved of smoking. "Let's go," Steve added, pleased that the cigarette was gone. "We need to keep tabs on our Mr Rivera."

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The hotel that Rivera checked into was one of the cheaper ones. Kono had given way to Chin on the drive over there and Chin had gone into the hotel to confirm that Rivera was indeed staying there and not just using it as a cover. Now, Chin had handed over surveillance to HPD and had returned to the Palace.

"We need to know what Rivera plans to do now he's here," Steve fretted, pacing restlessly around his office. He glanced at his men. "Possibilities?"

"Could be he is just here for his mama's funeral," Chin suggested in a tone that said he didn't believe a word of it.

"He's planning to live here," Kono mused. "Or he's having a vacation." It was always better to get the ridiculous suggestions out of the way first.

Standing by the window, cigarette in hand, Danny glanced at the other men. He knew it was his turn to come up with a suggestion. "We know that in California, he was the leader of a gang that specialised in offering 'protection' and other 'services' to high level hoods who hid behind legitimate businesses. Some of his gang are in prison, but some are not. I think we need to watch the arrivals on the island for his associates. He may well be planning to set up shop here."

With bated breath, Danny waited for his idea to be shot down in flames. However, the other three men were looking at him respectfully. "Just what I was thinking, Danno," Steve agreed. "My gut tells me you're right. It's become too hot for him in California. He might think it'll be easy to fall off the radar on this rock, but we're going to prove him wrong!" Steve sat abruptly in his chair. "Chin, Kono, I want you to find out which of Rivera's men are not in prison and then search the airline schedules for their names."

"Right, boss," Kono nodded, rising with alacrity.

"On it," Chin agreed and they both headed out of the room.

Left alone with Steve, Danny extinguished his cigarette and turned to face his new boss. "What do you want me to do, Steve?" Danny asked.

"I'd like you to stop smoking," Steve commented lightly. It was a habit he deplored.

"I'm trying," Danny protested.

"In the meantime, we're going to see the Governor and present you officially and then you're going home to put on some casual clothes because we are going to follow Rivera this evening, wherever he goes." Steve got to his feet and joined Danny on the other side of the desk. He put a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "This isn't too fast for you, is it?"

"No," Danny replied honestly. He smiled at Steve and the older man thought how young he looked. "It's been exhilarating," he confessed. "A little nerve-wracking here and there," he added with a smile, "but I've enjoyed it."

"Good," Steve smiled and patted Danny's shoulder a couple of times. "Let's go and see the Governor."

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The meeting with the Governor was a formality and lasted less than five minutes. Jameson shook Danny's hand and welcomed him to Five-O warmly, but he had another appointment that could not wait. Steve then drove Danny home to change and promised to collect him again in about half an hour.

It was pleasant to shed his suit and tie for an aloha shirt and jeans. Danny quickly showered and changed, grabbed some juice and fruit to keep him going and went outside to wait for Steve coming back. He instinctively reached for the packet of cigarettes in his pocket, then curbed himself. He had to quit smoking! Neither Steve nor Kono smoked, although Chin had a pipe. More often than not, the Chinese man only handled the pipe, not lighting it, but it served as an aid to thought and a stress reliever. Danny knew a lot of people who smoked, but the Five-O offices had no lingering smell of cigarette smoke and Danny was more determined than ever to quit the bad habit.

Steve appeared punctually, wearing a long-sleeved aloha shirt that was so bright that Danny wished he had brought shades. His own blue and green shirt was muted and sober by comparison. "This is the boring bit," Steve reminded his newest detective as they drove, sedately for Steve, towards the hotel. "It could be a long evening if Rivera decides to stay in."

"He won't," Danny predicted. "He's going to want to get out there and make contacts. He's got to make the right contacts to fall off the radar and he's got to do that quickly. If he's out in the open for too long, he knows that he's going to lose his chance. He's got to find something before his mother's funeral, because when that is over, we're going to be hounding him to leave. His bail conditions for parole say he has to be back in California the day after the funeral is over. He's got to find somewhere to hide before then."

Those thoughts were so exactly what Steve himself was thinking that he wondered for a fleeting second if Danny was a mind reader. "Just so," he said quietly. "Who do you think he might contact?"

"The criminal world is pretty small on Oahu," Danny mused as he thought, "but there are links from here all over the Pacific and back to the mainland." His mind flitted across the known mobsters and their henchmen. "I would have said Lee Wing Po," Danny joked for a moment. Po had been sent down for life just a few short weeks ago. The joke served to trip another thought and Danny sobered instantly. "Since Po went down, Siguru Matsukita is trying to muscle in on Po's territory. We've kept him at bay so far, but a new enforcer from the mainland might be just what he needs to make a serious move for power."

It was a joy to hear Danny's mind at work. "I think you're right," McGarrett agreed. "So we need to watch Matsukita as well." He pulled into a parking space at the hotel. "I hope you're not expecting to get a lot of sleep in the next few days, Officer Williams. I think we're going to be busy."


	21. Chapter 21

With other officers covering the back and side entrances, Steve and Danny took up a position in an open-air bar just across from the main entrance to the hotel. Steve's car was parked nearby, situated so that they could follow in any direction. As they talked casually over soft drinks, Steve learned first-hand about Danny's pulling power with the ladies, even when he wasn't trying. Any number of young women came over and whispered sweet nothings in his ear and often gave him a napkin or slip of paper with a phone number on it. Danny accepted them all with a grin, promising nothing to any of them, but they didn't seem to mind getting the brush-off. Nor was Danny the only one getting propositioned by women. Steve had a couple of clicks of his own, but his brush-off was generally not as promising as Williams' and he was sure he would never hear from the women again, even if he did accept their phone numbers.

"So you like the ladies," Steve commented. His eyes were riveted on the front door of the hotel.

"You don't seem to be a stranger to them either," Danny agreed. He was feeling pleasantly relaxed and not a little tired. One way or another, it had been a long day.

"There he is," Steve breathed and slid from the bar stool. Danny was by his side in an instant and they watched as Rivera set off to walk. "Let's go."

It seemed as first as though Rivera was just out for an evening stroll, enjoying the sights and sounds of Waikiki. He paused to look into shop windows and made some remarks, unheard by the trailing detectives, to some of the muumuu-clad beauties he passed. However, it soon become apparent that Rivera was looking for somewhere in particular as he checked street signs as he went along and glanced frequently at a piece of paper he was carrying.

"Where does Matsukita have his headquarters?" Steve asked as they followed along.

"The legitimate side of his business is conducted from a store in Ala Moana mall," Danny replied. "As for the other, well, your guess is as good as mine."

"His legitimate business has been turned over, I take it?" Steve enquired. Although he was often subliminally aware of what was going on in non-Five-O related cases, he wasn't really aware of hearing anything about Matsukita's business being gone over with a fine-toothed comb. Matsukita was on his radar, but so far Five-O had not had direct dealings with him.

"Yeah, I believe it's been busted a time or two," Danny agreed. "They didn't find anything. He's slippery. He's been watched more closely since Po's arrest and sentencing. HPD believe that he's planning something big to prove that he is the head guy now that Po is gone."

At the next intersection, Rivera turned away from the main drag and headed into the back streets. This was still an okay area, but it wasn't as populated as the main street and Steve and Danny had to slow their pace and drop back to remain inconspicuous. A little further up, Rivera turned onto a smaller side street and after a quick burst of speed to catch up and not lose him, they slowed to round the corner.

Rivera was gone!

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It was imperative now to find Rivera and their cover be damned. Danny darted across the street while Steve checked out the alleys and cross streets on his side. Rivera had obviously made them – that was a given – but they needed to find him quickly.

There was a scuffle of sound behind Steve, but before he could turn around, something hit him hard between the shoulder blades. He let out a cry of pain that was beyond his ability to stop and tumbled to his knees, his outstretched hands preventing him from landing on his face. His assailant – Rivera – followed him down, punching and kicking.

At the sound of Steve's cry, Danny turned and raced back across the street, nimbly dodging a car, and dived into the fray. Rivera turned to meet his attack and from the manic grin on the bigger man's face, he was enjoying himself. However, Danny had no intentions of letting this man hurt his new boss and squared up to the mainlander, watching him closely and dodging the punches as neatly as he had dodged the car moments earlier.

Rivera had no intention of leading these two cops to his meeting with Matsukita. He knew he was at a disadvantage against two of them, but he reckoned on being able to handle the smaller man with ease, which would give him leisure to deal with the bigger man. He was wrong. Danny's shorter, slighter frame gave him greater mobility – right up until the moment something turned under his foot and his balance tipped. Rivera was on him in a moment and Danny went down.

Pushing himself to his feet, Steve fumbled for his gun. He wasn't going to let Rivera away with this! "Hold it!" he ordered, levelling the gun.

To his relief, Rivera froze. He still had one hand entwined in the back of Danny's shirt, his other hand clenched into a fist. "Let go of him." Steve kept his eyes trained on Rivera. "Let him go."

Slowly, Rivera released his hold on Danny's shirt and the young detective scrambled carefully to his feet. Steve glanced his way for a fraction of a second. "Book him, Danno," he ordered and Danny obediently moved in to pat the criminal down and then cuff him.

Neither of them expected Rivera to make any kind of move. As Danny patted his torso down, Rivera stood completely still and as Danny's hands reached his hips, he made his move. He grabbed Danny's arm and yanked the young detective across his body, wrapping his arm around Danny's neck and twisting his arm up behind his back.

Alarmed, Steve cocked the gun, but he knew he was at an impasse. He couldn't shoot for fear of hitting Danny. This was eerily similar to his first meeting with Danny, when the younger man was held at gunpoint and Steve was unable to do anything. "Let him go!"

"That line is getting old," Rivera scoffed. "Put the gun down, McGarrett, or I snap his neck like a twig." He tightened his grip on Danny's neck and the detective choked.

Knowing that he had no choice, Steve clicked the safety back onto his gun and lowered it carefully to the ground.

"Now, kick it over here," Rivera ordered and Steve gave it a half-hearted kick. It was more than enough to put the gun out of his immediate reach. "Now get out your handcuffs."

"I don't carry any," Steve replied. He waited to be called out on the lie.

"Well, I'm sure this Boy Scout has some," Rivera retorted, "so I'm guessing that you do as well. Now, are you going to get them out or am I going to do some real damage to this kid?" He tightened his arm again, and Danny clawed helplessly against it with his one free hand. Slowly, Steve reached to the small of his back and produced the handcuffs. "Very good," Rivera sneered. "Put them on – behind your back. Better turn around so I can watch you." He gave Danny a shake.

"Don't," Danny gasped.

"Shut up!" Rivera shouted and for a moment, his attention was diverted from Steve. It was all the time Steve needed. He lunged at Rivera and his momentum and weight knocked all three of them to the ground.

It was a grim struggle. Danny was trapped between the two men, one arm twisted behind his back and he was taking the worst of the scuffle. Steve, while mindful that Danny was there and not wanting his man to be injured, still had to take Rivera down. Rivera was not hampered by considerations towards others at all. A punch broke through Steve's guard and caught him right on the ear. For a moment, pain encompassed Steve's being and when he was able to look up again, he was looking right into the barrel of his own gun. Danny was face down on the ground and Rivera was kneeling on his back.

"Let's start this again," Rivera panted. "Put on those handcuffs or I blow your boy's brains out." He clicked back the safety and with great deliberation, put the gun to Danny's head.

With no choice left, Steve did as he was told.


	22. Chapter 22

His hands now cuffed behind him, Danny lay face down in the filth of the alley as Rivera briskly frisked him and relieved him of his .38. He was still gasping for breath and kept his eyes averted from Steve. He had let his boss down and if they survived this, it was sure to be the end of his Five-O career.

"Get up!" Rivera snarled and yanked the hapless Danny to his feet. The sudden move caught Danny by surprise and he stumbled against their captor. Rivera gave him a shove and this time Steve absorbed the impact and steadied him as best he could.

"Are you all right, Danno?" Steve asked quietly.

"Yeah," Danny lied. "Sorry, Steve."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," Steve told him firmly.

"Shut up!" Rivera ordered. He grabbed Danny by the arm and put a gun against his back. "Get walking, both of you and if you try any funny stuff, McGarrett, I'll shoot him in the back."

Grimly, Steve nodded to Danny and they went deeper into the alley. Rivera appeared to know where they were going now and prodded them through the maze of seamy backstreets until they reached a run-down building that had once been a large store. This was obviously the rear entrance. The windows were boarded over and a plank of wood had been nailed over the door. At first glance, it appeared to be fixed in place but more observant eyes spotted that it was actually resting on a couple of pegs. Steve and Danny exchanged a glance.

"Stop." Rivera kept the gun trained on them as he knocked on the door in some complicated code. After a moment, the door opened and a Japanese man looked out. His eyes widened when he spotted Steve and Danny. Rivera grinned. "I come bearing gifts," he declared smugly.

"Wait." The man disappeared inside the building and they waited outside in the darkness. Danny shifted his weight, grimacing, and caught Steve looking at him anxiously. A raised eyebrow asked a question and Danny shrugged. What good would it do to admit that his back hurt and his ribs hurt and his ankle throbbed where he had twisted it?

The door opened again and light spilled into the alley, very bright after the sporadic, dim sodium streetlights they had been relying on. The Japanese man had clearly been getting instructions, for he now carried two long pieces of material which he proceeded to bind over their eyes. Hands grabbed their arms and they were led inside and down a flight of steps.

"Mr Matsukita?" Rivera asked obsequiously.

"You are Rivera." The second speaker didn't confirm or deny being Matsukita and Steve wondered if Danny knew the man's voice. "Why did you not kill them?" Steve felt Danny stiffen at the words and touched the younger man's arm with his. They were in a dire situation, but they weren't dead yet and McGarrett never gave up.

"Killing them might have messed up your operation," Rivera replied. "They might be of some use before you have to kill them."

There was a pause. "Yes, you have a point," the man agreed. "Take them away. Lock them up and be sure that they cannot escape."

"You are making a big mistake, Matsukita," Steve warned, his voice tight with anger and frustration.

"If so, it is my mistake to make, McGarrett," he replied pleasantly and a second later, there was the sound of a punch and Danny grunted, dropping to his knees. "Be aware that any further speech from you will have dire consequences for your associate. Take them away."

They were dragged from the room and dragged up a couple of flights of stairs and then shoved into another room. The door shut behind them and they both clearly heard the ominous click of a padlock closing.

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"Steve? Are you all right?" Danny's voice was strained. Steve was not sure if it was just because of the situation they were in or because of any injuries.

"I'm all right," Steve replied, but he couldn't keep the anger from bubbling over. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Danny didn't elaborate.

"Stay there and I'll come to you." Danny's voice was across the room from him. He took a couple of careful steps until he became aware of Danny's breathing and body heat. "Can you kneel down?" Steve asked. "That way, I can get your blindfold off."

"Okay." Danny did as he was asked and felt Steve's hands touch his head before the other man found the knot in the blindfold. It was a relief to regain his sight. Climbing to his feet, Danny repeated the favour and they quickly examined each other for damage in the dim light that manage to penetrate the filthy glass in the window. It was clear that Danny had taken the brunt of the altercation, but Steve had not escaped unscathed either. The important thing was that neither of them was incapacitated.

"It won't be this easy," Steve said, seemingly apropos of nothing else and went over to try the door, awkwardly grappling for the handle with his cuffed hands. As expected, the door resisted his attempts to open it.

"First things first," Danny muttered and abruptly sat down.

"Danno?" Steve was at his side in seconds. "Are you all right?" His concern was obvious.

"Fine," Danny replied, panting slightly. He wriggled. "I just thought… it would help if…" He gritted his teeth as he wriggled some more and Steve suddenly realised what he was doing. "If… my hands are… in front," he concluded, pausing in an awkward, uncomfortable pose before slowly threading his legs through his cuffed hands.

It wasn't an easy thing to do and Steve knew there was no way he would manage to do it. He was taller and older and he wasn't sure he had ever been that flexible. Steve steadied Danny as the younger man wobbled dangerously, puffing and panting against the bruises that made this procedure even more torturous that it would have been anyway. After several heart-stopping moments when his limbs seemed to be stuck, Danny finally had his hands in front of him. He wiped sweat from his brow and noticed his hands were shaking.

"That was impressive," Steve commented as they both rested for a moment.

"Surfing makes you flexible," Danny replied in an off-hand manner. "Steve, I am sorry…"

"Not another word," Steve interrupted. "I told you; there's nothing to be sorry for. We have to concentrate on getting out of here."

The door was not going to open for them and there was nothing in the room apart from dirt and when they examined the door more closely, they saw that the hinges were on the other side of the door, even if they had had the tools necessary to take it off its hinges. "Maybe we can get the window open," Danny suggested.

"Let's try," Steve agreed, although he would not be going through the window with his hands cuffed behind him. He doubted if he would get through anyway. It was incredibly narrow and even going through at an angle, he thought his shoulders would scrape the sides.

The window resisted all their efforts. Steve felt his contribution to the escape attempt was minimal. With his hands trapped behind him, he was helpless and that was not a feeling he liked at all. "I guess it's painted over," Danny panted, taking a break. He didn't want to admit how much effort this was taking. Taking a deep breath, he made one last attempt.

While the years of paint were proving stronger than most industrial adhesives, the glass was a good deal less robust. The ancient putty that held it in place gave way and the glass cracked. Danny glanced at Steve, suddenly feeling a bit better as their chances of getting out of there increased. "We'll have to break it," he said, as though Steve was unaware of that and clasped his fists together to do just that.

"Let me," Steve suggested. He didn't want Danny cutting his hands to ribbons on the glass. He angled himself and gave the glass a sharp kick. The glass shattered, falling out and down into the alley. They both froze, waiting for the shout that told them that there was a guard down there and he was alerted to what they were doing. No shout came.

Working carefully, Danny cleared as much broken glass from the frame as he could, then used the discarded blindfolds to cushion the bottom of the window. Cautiously, he stuck his head out and had a look around. "There's a pipe just outside there," he told Steve, who just had to look for himself. "I won't have to drop all the way down."

'Just outside' was not the term that Steve would have used. The pipe was a few feet away and would be a bit of a stretch. It would be easy enough if the window was wider and Danny's hands were not cuffed, but it would be incredibly difficult under the circumstances. "How are you going to get out there?" Steve demanded angrily.

Soberly, sensing the anger was not aimed at him, Danny replied, "Head first." He met Steve's concerned gaze. "You help me balance by holding onto my legs." He swallowed. "If I fall, this is not your fault. I know the risks and I've chosen to take them."

For a moment, Steve thought his voice would fail him. "You're a brave man, Dan Williams," he offered. "I'm proud to know you."

"Thank you, sir," Danny whispered.

"Don't call me sir," Steve protested gently. "I don't deserve that."

"You do." Danny suddenly felt he could hardly speak. "I wish I didn't have to leave you here."

"We have no choice," Steve responded gruffly. "Be careful." He didn't say it because he was concerned for his own safety.

"I'm ready," Danny said and stuck his head out of the window.


	23. Chapter 23

It was quite possibly the most dangerous thing Danny had ever done and that was really saying something considering some of the bone-headed stunts he had pulled after his parents' deaths. Danny tried not to think about what would happen if he fell. That was not productive. He had to concentrate on getting safely down and getting help before something happened to Steve.

Under normal circumstances, what Danny proposed to do would be difficult. With his hands cuffed together, it was almost impossible. Almost. With Steve holding his ankles in a bruising grip, Danny wriggled through the narrow window and braced his hands against the wall as he leaned and wriggled and stretched and reached, dangling precariously for several heart-stopping moments until he got a secure grip around the pipe with both hands. "Got it," he called softy.

Reluctantly, Steve let go of Danny's ankles and turned in time to see him latch around the pipe like a monkey. "Be careful," he urged again.

"I will," Danny promised. He gave Steve a quick grin before he began the difficult descent.

The rough stone of the building caught at the skin of his fingers as he slid his hands inch by inch down the pipe. The rusting surface of the pipe burned the tender skin of his palms and his bare forearms were soon a mass of raw, bleeding scrapes. Danny gritted his teeth against the pain and strain. He could feel moisture trickling down his back and knew that it was blood; the broken glass on the top of the window had sliced neatly through his shirt as he wriggled through. Still, those injuries were of minor moment compared to the danger Steve was in.

He was about 8 feet from the ground when he felt the pipe starting to pull away from the wall. Danny glanced down, trying to judge his distance from the ground and let go.

Watching from above, Steve let out a horrified gasp as he saw Danny had misjudged his landing and tumbled to the ground. For a long moment, Danny lay still, then he rolled onto his side and from there to his hands and knees, pausing for a long moment on all fours, shaking his head before he climbed laboriously to his feet. He glanced upwards and gave Steve a brief wave before he disappeared into the shadows and was gone from sight.

With a sigh of relief, Steve pulled his head back into the room and looked around his prison. It was going to be a long wait and waiting was something he was no good at. Glancing towards the window, as though he would somehow be able to see Danny's progress, something caught Steve's eye, despite the dim lighting. He took a step closer and saw the blood on the glass. "Dammit, Danno, why didn't you say something?" Steve demanded of the absent man.

There was no response. Steve paced around the room a couple of times before finally sinking to the floor.

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He knew the moment his feet touched the ground that he had misjudged it. Danny made a frantic try to grab something, anything, to prevent him hitting the ground, but he knew it was a forlorn hope. The impact with the ground knocked the wind from his body and he lay there for several valuable seconds before he was able to roll onto his side and get up. His body was a mass of aches and pains. Taken individually, each one was minor, but combined, they were causing him more pain than he really wanted to deal with. Dragging his mind away from his woes, Danny focused on the task at hand – finding a phone booth and summoning help.

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It should have been easy, but finding a phone booth suddenly seemed like the hardest thing on earth. Limping, Danny made his way towards the bigger streets, pausing when he reached a well-lit area to look around and get his bearings. There was a booth a few feet away, but even from where he stood, Danny could see that it had been vandalised and there was no receiver. He groaned and pushed away from the building that had been supporting him.

The streets were quiet and deserted. What time was it? Danny had no idea. His watch was gone. He had no memory of it being taken, but it didn't matter. He had to get to a phone booth and get help. He staggered on, hoping against hope that he would see a patrol car, but there was no traffic at all.

He had no idea how long he had walked when he finally found a phone booth. He eased into it and reached for the receiver. "I need the police," he informed the operator and was transferred through at once. "This is Dan Williams," he identified himself. He quickly rattled off his location. "I need several units to come on silent approach. Steve McGarrett's life is in danger. Alert Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua. Hurry!" He heard the cop on the other end of the phone saying something else, but Danny was no longer able to hear. His strength gave out and he slid down the side of the booth, the receiver slipping from his hands. He'd done it; he'd got help for Steve. He closed his eyes and waited for the cavalry.

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"Danny!"

The voice woke him from sleep and he blinked sharply to clear his vision. "Duke?" Danny struggled to push himself to his feet, groaning as his body protested the movement.

"What happened to you, Danny?" Duke demanded, taking in the dirty, blood-stained, bedraggled clothing and the handcuffed hands. He reached for the cuffs, but Danny shook him off.

"Steve! We've got to get Steve! Matsukita has him."

"Where?" Duke was still fumbling for his cuff keys, but Danny was already struggling to his feet and Duke automatically reached out to steady him.

"This way." Danny shook his head and reoriented himself. He felt Duke unlock the cuffs and the relief to have them off was immense. He let Duke ease him into the patrol car and saw that there was another car behind it and a third coming into view. He directed Duke along the street and they left the cars and followed Danny through the maze of alleyways until they were hiding just around the corner from the store where Steve was still a captive.

It was still quiet and it seemed that nothing had changed while he had been gone, but Danny was well aware that Steve could be lying dead in that upstairs room. He glanced around as he heard footsteps behind them, and was relieved and delighted to see Kono and Chin. "Danny! You all right?" Chin put his hand gently on Danny's shoulder, but even so, the younger man winced.

"I'm fine." He quickly updated them on what had happened that evening. "We've got to get Steve out of there." He outlined the layout of the building as best he could, explaining that they had been blindfolded so he wasn't certain of anything.

They were still debating plans when there was a soft noise from the officer on watch. They hurried over to him and peeked cautiously around the corner. Someone had come out from the building and was lighting a cigarette. A plan crystallised in Danny's brain. He grabbed the cuffs from Duke and quickly started to click them closed around his wrists, hands behind him. "What are you doing?" Duke hissed.

"This is how we're going to get in," Danny replied. "Get ready. He'll see me and open the door to get reinforcements or just to take me back inside. That's your cue."

"I don't like this," Chin objected, but his protest was too late. Danny was already stumbling away from them.

His sudden appearance, weaving towards the building where he had been held captive, startled the man who had come out for a smoke. Danny inhaled the smell, wishing he could have a smoke right now to steady his nerves. His arms were screaming in protest at the renewed restraint, but Danny knew that his appearance like this – with his hands still restrained – would give them the valuable seconds they needed to make the raid. He tripped over his own feet and tumbled to his knees. The smoker leapt forward and loomed over him. Danny glanced up. "Surprise," he croaked.

It was the Japanese man who had first answered the door. His face was a picture of total shocked surprise. He reached for the hapless detective with a meaty hand and yanked him to his feet. "How did you get out here?" he rumbled and swung Danny around to check his manacles. Finding them secure, he took Danny by the arm and shook him. "I asked a question."

"I know." Danny was finding the sudden changes of direction dizzying, but he fought to keep it from showing on his face. He found an insolent grin from somewhere.

That did it. Keeping his grip on Danny's arm, the Japanese man dragged him over to the door and opened it. Danny was vaguely aware of movement from the corner where they had been hiding before he was pushed inside and fell to the floor, narrowly missing a tumble down some stairs.

The pounding footsteps of his rescuers alerted the Japanese man to their presence and he let out a yell of warning. The door at the bottom of the stairs opened and several people rushed out. Rivera was among them, Danny noticed and he braced himself to stop the criminal escaping. As Rivera drew level with him, Danny thrust up from the floor, throwing his shoulder into Rivera's legs and toppling the man.

From behind Danny, a uniformed cop grabbed Rivera, but Danny had no more time to worry about him. One man sidled around the melee and made for the stairs and Danny pushed himself to his feet, yelling for back-up as he dashed up after the man. Steve was up there, defenceless and Danny was not going to let anything else happen to his boss.

The other man was faster on his feet. Danny was gasping for breath, unsteady on his feet and off balance from the cuffs. By the time he reached the top of the stairs, the man had the padlock opened and was in the room, gun drawn. Through a red haze, Danny saw Steve standing against the wall, his head held high as always and did the only thing he could do. He threw himself against the gunman, knocking them both to the floor. The gun discharged, but Danny didn't know if Steve was hit or not. He was pushed off the gunman, who turned on him furiously.

Dizzy beyond belief, with his body closing down, he saw the gun aiming at him before the world went dark.


	24. Chapter 24

Steve had been unable to settle after Danny left. He sat on the floor for a while, but anxiety for his officer's safety and the discomfort of the handcuffs soon had him pushing back to his feet and pacing again. His body ached and he was bone weary, but rest was beyond him. The time passed with agonising slowness.

He was leaning against the wall when he heard the rumpus from below. Straightening, he crossed to the window and glanced out. There were a crowd of bodies in the alley below and they looked like uniformed cops! Elated – Danno had done it! – he turned to face the door, anticipating the arrival of someone who could take those damned cuffs off his wrists.

The lock clicked open and Steve came face to face with an armed man that he did not recognise. In that moment, Steve had to admit he had known this scenario had been a distinct possibility right from the moment Danny explained his escape plan. Steve held his head high, determined not to show the fear that was fluttering in his gut. This was not the way he wanted his life to end, but if that was his destiny, he would not grant his killer the satisfaction of showing fear.

There was movement from behind the gunman and Steve saw that it was Danny. The younger man looked exhausted and it looked, from the quick glance Steve gave him, as though he was restrained once more. Had things gone wrong? He had no further chance to think things through as Danny launched himself at the gunman. The weapon discharged and Steve felt the thud reverberate through his body as the bullet bit into his upper arm and he stumbled back and fell against the wall, sliding down it involuntarily. He shook off the shock in time to see Danny crumple to the floor and the gunman turn and aim down at the helpless man.

"No!" he cried and the gunman turned his head and gave Steve an evil smile.

"You are next," he promised and looked back down at Danny.

Scrambling to get his legs beneath him again, Steve knew that he would be unable to rise in time to save Danny's life. His heart ached at the loss of someone so young, so talented and someone that had already become a part of his life. "Danno!" he cried.

There was a shout from outside the room and the gunman lifted his eyes and whipped up the gun to fire out of the door. He didn't get the opportunity – whoever was outside fired and the gunman collapsed to the floor, his weapon discharging harmlessly into the ceiling.

The relief almost caused Steve to come undone. He struggled to his feet and stumbled across the room, kicking the gun away and dropping to his knees by Danny's side. "Danno!" he gasped and cursed the confining cuffs that prevented him from searching for a pulse. Danny's body was completely lax and he was very pale.

"Boss!" Kono was kneeling by Steve, hands fumbling to unlock the cuffs. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Steve replied, although blood was running down his arm and as he brought his arms from behind his back for the first time in hours, he couldn't prevent a groan from the constricted muscles. "Danno…"

"He all right," Kono replied with assurance. "Just tuckered out, I reckon."

"He was hurt," Steve corrected the other man. "And he fell climbing from the window. He was cut on the glass, too." He winced as Kono wrapped a large hand around his wounded arm, trying to stem the blood.

"You hurt, too, boss," Kono reminded him. "Ambulance is on the way." Kono glanced at Duke, who had just come into the room and the Hawaiian nodded. "Just sit here."

The room seemed to be full of people. Steve felt slightly light-headed, but refused to leave Danny's side. The younger man had not stirred and Steve was really worried about him. It was only when the ambulance attendants arrived that he agreed to go downstairs. Kono shepherded him anxiously, for the wound on his arm bled stubbornly and there was no exit wound.

Downstairs, uniformed cops were starting to usher the members of Matsukita's gang towards the patrol cars. Rivera, looking utterly furious, was among them. His eyes narrowed as Steve came into sight. Steve smiled slightly. "Things haven't worked out quite the way you thought they would, have they, Rivera?" he asked. The criminal spat in Steve's direction but was fortunately too far away to make contact. Steve ignored the insult and glanced over the men. "Where's Matsukita?" he asked.

"We didn't find him," Chin replied. "Are you sure he was here, boss?"

That was the problem, Steve reflected. The person that Rivera had referred to as Matsukita might not have been the mob boss. Steve did not know his voice and he didn't know if Danny knew it either. Neither of them had seen the man in question. It might have been someone else altogether; he had no way to tell right now. Much as it galled him to admit it, he was not sure. "No," he agreed. "We were blindfolded when we were brought in."

The prisoners were led out and Kono and Chin walked on either side of Steve to where the ambulance waited. The attendants appeared a few minutes later with Danny on a stretcher. The younger man was conscious again. An IV dripped fluids into his arm and he wore an oxygen mask. Steve leant over the stretcher and smiled. "Howzit, Danno?" he asked.

"Are you all right?" Danny asked, his voice muffled by the mask over his face.

"I'm fine," Steve replied gruffly. "What were you thinking – throwing yourself at an armed man like that?"

"I didn't want him to hurt you," Danny mumbled.

"You saved my life – again." Steve put his hand on Danny's arm gently. "Mahalo, Danno." He smiled. "This is becoming a habit."

The exhausted young detective murmured something that Steve didn't quite catch. He glanced quizzically at the attendant, but he had apparently not heard anything. Sitting back, Steve allowed the other attendant to put a pressure bandage on his arm, wincing in pain as he worked, and reflected that Danny could not possibly have said he was just doing his job.

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Someone had alerted Doc Bergman to meet them at the hospital. Steve ushered the coroner in Danny's direction and suffered the attentions of the ER doctor himself. He soon found himself in a hospital gown, being prepped for surgery to remove the bullet from his arm. An IV had been started and Steve was feeling sleepy from the pain medication. He hoped he would hear about Danny before he was taken to surgery, but he suspected that would not be the case. Unless… He hoped that Danny would not need a trip to the OR as well.

The doctor came back into the room and to Steve's enormous relief, Bergman followed him in. "Steve, I thought you would like an update on Dan Williams," he said.

"How is he, doc?" Steve asked.

"He's pretty beat up," Bergman replied. "He's getting x-rays at the moment. He's dehydrated and has some moderate blood loss. I'm going to have several deep gashes to stitch on his back, arms and hands. He's got a sprained ankle, cuts, bruises, abrasions and possibly bruised kidneys. I'm going to be keeping him for a few days."

"He will be all right, won't he?" Steve demanded.

"I expect him to make a full recovery, but I'll know more after I've seen the x-rays. He's pretty tender around the ribs and I just hope he hasn't broken any. There's a bump on his head, too, but he doesn't seem to have suffered a concussion. His shoulders are sore and I don't doubt every muscle in his body hurts as well. He seems to have done some rather impressive things in the last few hours if I can believe what he told me." Bergman looked at Steve quizzically.

"He probably hasn't told you it all," Steve conjectured, knowing Williams' innate modesty. "But you can believe every word he says."

"You'll see him after surgery," Bergman assured the Five-O chief. "But he's going to be fine."

"Mahalo, Doc," Steve sighed and allowed the drugs to lull him to sleep as they took him to the OR.


	25. Chapter 25

It took him some time before he realised he was really awake. Reluctant to leave the warm darkness, Steve recognised the fog in his mind as post-anaesthetic drowsiness, but he sensed someone else in the room and prised his eyelids open.

The room was dimly lit but Steve had no problem recognising Bergman dozing by his bed. "Am I that badly off?" he croaked and was gratified to see the coroner jerk awake and almost fall off his chair. He chuckled softly.

"Well I'm glad you think it's funny," Bergman said acerbically. "No, you're going to be fine, assuming someone doesn't murder you for your peculiar sense of humour, but I had this misguided notion that you would be grateful that I decided to stay and tell you about your newest detective. I think I've changed my mind, though." He stood up, picked up his sports jacket and slipped it on.

"I'm sorry," Steve said contritely. "How is Danno?"

"Sore, dehydrated and as miserable as sin," Bergman replied. "His most serious injury is bruising to the kidneys, followed by a sprained ankle. Everything else is fairly minor, but all put together, Danny is quite unwell."

"Bruised kidneys?" Steve had a sudden flashback of Rivera kneeling on Danny's back. "How badly bruised?"

"Bad enough that he's peeing blood," Bergman replied bluntly, then relented. "It isn't that bad at the moment, but he'll be here for a few days until that resolves and we'll be pushing his fluids. It's a painful condition." He sighed. "I took stitches in three deep gouges in his back but they should heal just fine."

"I'm glad to hear that." Steve was horrified that Danny was so badly hurt – and on his first day with Five-O no less – but relieved that Danny's injuries were no worse.

"And now we've got that out of the way," Bergman went on, "let's talk about you so that I can go home."

"I'm fine," Steve protested.

"Pretty much, yeah," Bergman agreed. "The bullet in your arm was lodged against the bone, but by some miracle didn't break it. The surgeon had to dig for it, so your arm is going to be sore for a while and you are going to use a sling for at least a week!" To add emphasis to his words, Bergman wagged an admonitory finger at Steve. "If you agree, you can get out of here in the morning and if you don't agree, I'll keep you sedated."

It was a joke of course, Steve knew, but sometimes he wondered if Bergman half-meant what he said. Steve knew he wasn't a model patient, but he was sure he wasn't as bad as the crusty coroner made out. "Mahalo, Doc," he agreed.

"Get some sleep," Bergman advised and shortly after he left, Steve took his advice.

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While Steve felt well within himself the next morning, his arm was certainly sore enough to be a bother. The sling was an encumbrance he could do without, but he had to admit it relieved the strain from the damaged muscles. Kono arrived to collect him and brought a change of clothes. Steve felt better when he was dressed ready for the office; it made him feel like he was in control.

"I want to see Danno before we leave," he said to Kono.

"Thought you would," Kono agreed placidly. "Danny done great last night, boss."

"Yes, he did," Steve nodded. He heard the pride he felt in his new detective echoed in Kono's words. Danny had really proved himself the previous day under exceptionally trying circumstances.

The hospital was still quiet as Kono led Steve to Danny's room. The nurse on the desk nodded in recognition to Kono and Steve was both pleased and amused that Kono had sought clearance beforehand. Steve knew that tact was often one of his own shortfalls.

The morning sun was streaming into the small room and breakfast was on an over-bed tray, but Danny had not touched it and looked distinctly miserable. His face was pale, with dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept. He was hooked to an IV and a bag hung from the bed, about half full of blood-stained urine. The things that held Steve's attention were Danny's hands. Each finger was individually wrapped in gauze, which then extended all the way to his elbows. Steve knew at once why Danny's breakfast was untouched. Using his hands would be next door to impossible.

"Hey, bruddah," Kono smiled. "You hungry?"

Colour flooded over Danny's pale cheeks. "Yeah," he admitted in a voice so low it was barely audible.

"Pity," Kono sighed as he started cutting the bacon. "It smells real good for hospital food." He patted his stomach. "I'm a growing boy – I could eat for you if you really want." He fed Danny the first forkful.

"Yeah, growing outwards," Danny jibed around a mouthful.

"How are you feeling, Danno?" Steve asked, wishing he had Kono's knack of easing an awkward situation.

The answer was clear on Danny's face as he swallowed, but he replied, "Not too bad, Steve, thanks. How are you? Doc said you had to have surgery." He gestured with a bandaged hand to Steve's arm.

"It's nothing," Steve replied dismissively. "It would have been much worse if you hadn't risked your life in that cavalier fashion." He strove to sound disapproving, but he wasn't sure he was successful, because Danny did not look repentant the way he ought to.

"If I'd been a bit quicker, he might have missed," Danny argued. He opened his mouth to add something else, but Steve jumped in.

"Don't you dare apologise," he ordered, sensing the words coming. "You did everything right." He watched Danny take another forkful. "Danno, last night. Did you recognise the voice of the man Rivera addressed as Matsukita?"

Thinking while he chewed, Danny reluctantly shook his head. "I've only had one encounter with Matsukita," he admitted, "and that was just after I started with HPD." He took a long drink of the juice Kono offered. "That was over two years ago," he added, sounding slightly surprised. He had come a long way in the last two and a half years. "I'm just not sure, Steve. I take it that means we didn't get him?" The disappointment was evident in his voice.

"No, we didn't," Steve agreed. "And we have no proof that it was him last night, unless someone talked overnight?" This last was directed at Kono.

"Nobody's saying anything," Kono confirmed. "Not that I heard."

"We did get Rivera didn't we?" Danny asked. "I remember knocking him down."

"We got him and he's going to be spending quite some time here before he's returned to the mainland to spend even more time securely there." Steve felt a distinct sense of satisfaction at that. He had vowed that Rivera would not be allowed to set up on the island and he had kept that vow.

"Can't we persuade Rivera to talk?" Danny asked.

"Maybe," Steve allowed. "Maybe. There is always the chance that Rivera wasn't talking to Matsukita. It could have been another member of his gang posing as the leader until they were sure of Rivera."

"At least we got him," Danny sighed then his expression became tight and he arched his back, panting against the sudden pain that shot through him.

"What is it?" Steve asked anxiously. He leaned forward and pressed the call button.

"I get… pain…" Danny tried to explain, but couldn't quite put into words the constant discomfort and the horrible moments when he got spasm-like pain in his kidneys.

The nurse came in and saw his predicament at once. She retreated without a word and returned a few moments later with a syringe and smoothly shot the contents into his IV port. Steve hovered helplessly as the nurse wiped the sweat from Danny's brow and generally did what she could to soothe him until the drug took effect. "Better?" she asked as his face relaxed.

"Yeah," Danny breathed, although he was still deathly pale.

"I'm going to ask the doctor for something to help you sleep," the nurse said. "Your chart says you didn't sleep much last night."

"No," Danny admitted, feeling Steve's questioning eyes on him. "I had too much to think about."

"Don't dwell on what you did or did not do," Steve advised as the nurse left to speak to the doctor. "You can't change things now and your actions went above and beyond the call of duty. Why didn't you tell me that you'd cut yourself going out of the window?"

"I had to get out," Danny explained. "We couldn't just stay there and wait for them to kill us, Steve." He started to shrug and then changed his mind. "It wasn't important."

"It was," Steve insisted gently. "Tell me when you're hurt."

"Yes, sir," Danny slurred. His eyes were starting to look glassy and Steve realised the painkiller was going to put the younger man to sleep.

"You rest," Steve ordered and he and Kono both paused in the doorway to look back at the slumbering detective.


	26. Chapter 26

There was always a lot to do in the aftermath of an arrest. Steve went first to the office to deal with anything that had come in overnight and after that Kono took him down to HPD, where Chin was already questioning the suspects. He demanded to question Rivera himself and within a short time, the criminal was brought to him.

A night in the cells had no dampened Rivera's arrogance. He sneered at Steve and made a show of examining the sling with a sly grin on his face. "Got a little boo-boo?" he laughed.

Taking a deep breath, Steve did not respond and just watched as the HPD officer slammed Rivera down into the chair. The officer retreated to the door and although Steve would have preferred to do the interrogation alone, he did not object. With his arm out of commission, he was vulnerable should Rivera decide to attack him, even though the other man was cuffed. "So you just came to the island for your mother's funeral did you?" Steve began mildly.

"Yes," Rivera replied, sounding bored. "And you pigs better let me out of here before tomorrow so I can pay my respects." He sneered again. It was extremely unattractive. "You don't have anything to hold me on."

"Really?" Steve replied. "How about assault on a police officer and two counts of kidnapping for starters?"

"How about I stand up in court and say that we were just playing kinky games and it was all mutual?" Rivera snarled back.

"That's the best you can come up with?" Steve laughed. "Who, exactly, do you think would believe that? Your record speaks for itself, as does my own and my colleague's. I know who I think the jury is more likely to believe." Steve turned and walked a few paces before facing Rivera again. "How did you find Matsukita? Did he live up to your standards? Was he offering you enough money?"

Yawning ostentatiously, Rivera looked away. "Wasn't he impressed with your 'gifts'?" Steve asked. "You seemed to think that giving us to him would pave your way with ease."

"Is this going somewhere?" Rivera asked.

"Oh I'm sorry; do you have another appointment?" Steve enquired with deadly sarcasm. "You're not leaving this rock for quite some time, mister," he warned, leaning in close. "You're going to be spending a lot of time here before we then send you back to California to pay the penalty for breaking your bail restrictions."

"You're sore because you didn't get Matsukita," Rivera taunted Steve. "He's cleverer than you are and you're never going to get him. He's going to have this place sewn up and you won't be able to do anything about it."

"You think not?" Steve shook his head. "Matsukita is going down."

Rivera's laugh seemed genuinely amused. "I wouldn't count on that," he replied. "Matsukita has you over a barrel, McGarrett and you won't argue with him." He leaned back in his chair. "I'm not saying anything else without a lawyer present."

For a long moment, Steve just stared at him. "Take him away," he told the officer, straightening up. He watched as Rivera was led away, wondering what he meant. Matsukita was slippery, but Steve was sure they would get him. How could Rivera think the gang leader had him over a barrel? That didn't make sense.

Feeling unsettled, Steve went to see how everyone else was getting on.

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The first police officer disappeared later that day. The hue and cry was raised when he didn't turn up for duty and he hadn't been seen since leaving his home on time for work. His naked body, bound hand and foot, was found on a beach that night. He had been executed by a single gunshot to the head. 24 hours later, another patrolman vanished. HPD was placed on high alert. The second patrolman was found late at night on the day he disappeared and like the other man, he was naked, bound and executed. As the body was removed from the scene, the men working the case realised that one of the detectives who had been there was nowhere to be found. A thorough search of the area revealed nothing. The missing detective was Yuri Adamson.

Staring at the report, Steve was reeling. Three disappearances and two deaths. He had little doubt that Yuri would also turn up dead. Who was doing this and why? The two patrolmen had never worked together and had never even worked on the same shift as each other. Yuri likewise had no obvious connection to either of the murdered patrolmen. There was only one thing Steve could think of and that was Rivera's warning. Was Matsukita really trying to take control of the island by murdering cops? Did he really think Steve would buckle and stop trying to find him? If so, McGarrett thought grimly, the mob chief did not know him at all. He left orders that no officer was to go anywhere alone and made sure that Danny Williams, still in hospital, was guarded at all times. Then, he set about trying to find Matsukita.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Yuri did not think he had ever been so scared in his life. He had been taken from the crime scene by person or persons unknown, knocked out by a single blow to the head. He had awoken naked, bound hand and foot and alone in a small dark room. His struggles to free himself had come to nothing and he lay trembling, waiting for his fate. He knew what he was facing – execution. He was so scared that when the door finally opened, he thought his heart would stop beating from sheer terror. He could hardly take in enough breath.

Two masked thugs pulled him to his feet and held him there, as he was trembling so violently that he probably wouldn't have been able to remain standing. After a moment, a third man entered the room and Yuri recognised Matsukita. The mob boss had put on some weight since the last official police photo, but he was instantly recognisable. "Mr Adamson," purred the boss. "How pleasant to make your acquaintance."

Unable to speak, Yuri felt colour rising in his face as Matsukita walked around him, examining him closely. He stopped in front of the bound man once more. "I have a proposition for you. If you do as I ask, I shall let you live. If you do not, I shall execute you, exactly the same way as I executed those patrolmen." He pulled a pistol from under his jacket. "Your job is very easy. I want you to bring me Danny Williams."

"No," Yuri stuttered, but his denial was anything but convincing.

"No? You surprise me," Matsukita replied. "I thought you would hate Williams for taking your place in Five-O. I have it on good authority that Williams will be made second-in-command there before very much longer."

"He's only just started," Yuri gasped. "He's just a kid."

For a moment, Matsukita's expression darkened. "A talented kid," he growled. "He is dangerous to me." He cleared his expression with an obvious effort. "If you bring me Williams, not only will I let you live, but I will pay you generously," he went on. "I want to keep Williams as a pet. If I have him, McGarrett's hands will be tied. This island will belong to me and I will set you up as chief of the state police. We both know that you could do a far better job than McGarrett has ever done."

It was a sad fact that Yuri was a weak man with a big ego. He knew he ought to resist what Matsukita was saying, but he was afraid to die. He had indulged in daydreams of what he would do with the state police and although he didn't really believe that Matsukita would let him stay alive, a small part of him did not believe he would be killed after bringing him Danny Williams. Yuri was also jealous of Danny; so jealous that it was robbing him of any pleasure in his everyday life and he was literally sick with jealousy. The thought of being able to do the new Five-O detective a bad turn was more tempting that he could resist. "All right," he agreed. "What do you want me to do?"

.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N There is an act of violence in this chapter which might shock some readers. It is not very graphic but I thought I had better warn people.**

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The last few days had seen a big improvement for Danny. The pain was less so he required fewer drugs and was able to stay awake longer to speak to visitors. His appetite increased and he began to feel less deathly. His bandaged hands still caused him a few problems, but he was learning to work around them. It would be a few days yet before the bandages were removed. Healing had begun, but the new skin was fragile and the less movement he had in his fingers while it grew the better.

On the plus side, that very morning Doc Bergman had pulled the Foley catheter and removed the IV. Danny was able to get up for the first time since he was hospitalised and that improved how he felt 100%. Naturally enough, he was feeling a bit weak after several days in bed and the beating he had taken, but sitting in a chair by the window was a real pleasure.

It had been worrying to hear of the murders of the police from Steve and to learn that he had a guard at the door, even if his new boss had not gone into detail. Danny knew he was in no position to protect himself at the moment and he didn't like feeling vulnerable. His visitors had petered off since the murders as well. Going out was a risk that Danny could well understand his friends in the force not wanting to take.

Therefore he was surprised when the door opened to admit Yuri Adamson. The surprise was two-fold. The first was that Yuri was there at all. He and Danny had never got along that well and Danny couldn't imagine why Yuri had come to see him. The second surprise was that Yuri appeared to be on his own.

"Hi, Dan," Yuri offered, trying to sound cheery.

"Yuri," Danny acknowledged. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," Yuri replied. "To ask how you're doing." He examined the younger man critically and decided the plan he had in mind would work perfectly.

"I'm good, thanks," Danny replied suspiciously. "Shouldn't you have someone with you?"

"My escort is downstairs in the cafeteria," Yuri lied smoothly. "I said I'd stay with you while your guard takes a quick break. I hope that's all right? It's good to see you up and about." He smiled and Danny tentatively smiled back. There was something very wrong about this whole scenario. "Listen, I saw a wheelchair out in the corridor. How do you fancy going to the lanai for some fresh air?"

Still suspicious, Danny was sorely tempted by the offer. Still, he trusted his instincts and they were shouting that there was something hugely off about Yuri's behaviour. "Um, no, I think I'll just stay here," he replied.

"Oh, that's a pity." Yuri practically deflated. "The nurse said it would be fine if you wanted to go." He had asked the nurse on the way in, as that would give him some more time before a hue and cry was raised. "But I understand if you don't feel up to it. Look, Danny." Yuri leaned forward earnestly. "I've come to say that I don't have any hard feelings towards you for taking the Five-O job. In fact, I feel sorry for you. Steve is a hard man to work for."

"He's not that bad," Danny denied.

"You landed up in here on your first day on the job," Yuri reminded him with what he hoped was a touch of wry humour. Humour was something of a closed book to Yuri.

"That wasn't Steve's fault," Danny laughed. He still didn't like Yuri, but he recognised the man was trying. It wasn't his fault that he was a humourless, boring prig. Relenting, he said, "Actually, I would like to go to the lanai if you don't mind."

"No, I don't mind at all," Yuri babbled, almost undone with relief. "Not in the slightest. I'll just get that chair." He vanished out of the room at high speed and was back just as quickly, pushing the chair in front of him. Solicitously, he helped Danny get up and settle into the chair. He pushed it out into the corridor and the pretty nurse at the desk smiled at them both.

"Enjoy your fresh air," she told Danny blithely.

The moment they were out of sight, Yuri felt in his jacket pocket for the syringe that Matsukita had given him and jabbed it into Danny's shoulder. "What the hell?" Danny yelped, but the drug was already coursing through his system and he began to feel quite woozy.

"Just shut up so I don't have to shoot anyone," Yuri hissed in his ear, pushing the chair as fast as he could towards the service elevator. It thankfully opened at once and he shoved Danny inside and grabbed the cloth in his pocket and after an unequal struggle, had Danny gagged. Yuri's tie provided bonds for Danny's hands and by the time they exited out of the back door, Danny was unconscious. A couple of men got out of the large black car waiting there, hoisted the unconscious detective unceremoniously into the trunk and then one of them calmly shot Yuri in the head.

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The buzz of the phone brought Steve's head up from the paperwork he was perusing and he absently grabbed the handset. "Yes, love?"

"Steve, the hospital is on the phone," May reported. "It sounds urgent."

"Put it through," Steve ordered. He heard the necessary click and said, "McGarrett."

"This is Officer Donnelly at Queens," reported the voice. "Detective Williams has disappeared and Detective Adamson has been murdered."

"What!" Steve was on his feet. "I'll be right there."

Grabbing his jacket, Steve ran out of the office. "Chin! Kono! Come with me." He glanced at May. "I'll be at the hospital if anyone needs me."

"What's wrong, boss?" Kono gasped as they ran after Steve.

Scurrying down the steps, Steve gestured to them to take another car. He had no idea what had happened at the hospital, but he thought it would be best if they had two vehicles. "Danno has disappeared and Yuri is dead," he reported succinctly, jumped into his car and took off with a squeal of tyres. Chin and Kono wasted no time in copying him.

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Striding from the car, Steve was met by Duke Lukela. The Hawaiian officer was pale, but composed. "Yuri Adamson arrived to visit Danny this morning about an hour and a half ago," Duke reported. "He said that he would watch Danny while Donnelly went for a break. That seemed all right. Adamson asked the nurse if he could take Danny to the lanai and she agreed. We don't know what happened after that, but Yuri's body was found outside the back door. He had been shot in the head, execution style."

"An hour and a half?" Steve repeated. "Danno could be anywhere."

"When Donnelly got back from the half-hour break Adamson told him to have, he went looking for them and when he didn't find them, he alerted HPD." As he spoke, Duke led them across the reception area, through a door marked 'staff only' and along a corridor. "Adamson's body was found a short time later." They stepped outside and Steve stopped and looked down on the body of his former second in command.

"Steve." Bergman was there, watching as the lab guys combed the area, taking photos and looking for clues. "There's not much doubt as to the cause of death, I'm afraid," he reported.

"No," Steve agreed numbly. He took a step towards Che Fong, wondering how the diminutive Chinese lab expert had managed to get there before he did. "Anything?" he asked.

"Adamson had this in his pocket," Che replied, holding up a syringe. Some gold-coloured fluid pooled in the tube. "I won't know for sure what this is until I analyse it in the lab, but I'm guessing at a fast-acting sedative." He gestured to the wheelchair standing close by. "I'm betting that's how Danny was brought down here. We're dusting it for prints."

"Anything else?" Steve asked. So far this added up to nothing, except that Adamson had been missing overnight and then turned up dead this afternoon. Intuitively, Steve knew that Matsukita was at the back of it, but he had nothing to prove his theory.

"Nothing so far, but we'll keep looking," Che promised.

"Doc, what kind of shape was Danno in physically?" Steve asked.

"He's on the mend, no doubt about it," Bergman responded. "I took him off the IV yesterday, as you know, and pulled the Foley, but he's not fit to be out of hospital yet. He still needs to be watched for another day or so and to get used to being back on his feet. His hands are still bandaged."

"So resisting a kidnapping would be difficult at best."

"If that is a sedative, it would have been impossible," Doc speculated. "He wouldn't have been expecting an attack from someone he knew, which would have given Adamson an advantage."

Nodding bitterly, Steve looked down at the dead officer once more. There were a lot of words he wanted to scream at the dead man, but he kept silent. There was no point in venting at a corpse. Taking a deep breath, Steve lifted his head and tried to focus his thoughts on finding his missing officer. "I'll find you, Danno," he promised. "I'll find you."

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	28. Chapter 28

**A/N The next 2 chapters are pretty dark. I just wanted readers to be warned.**

Drifting back to consciousness, Danny became aware he had a thumping headache. He couldn't remember the last time he had tied one on and had a hangover – unless it was that case where he had posed as a GI on leave – but he surely had a hangover now!

For a while, he drifted, trying to fall back asleep and hoping that when he woke his head would feel better, but other sensations were now impinging on his awareness and he gave up trying to sleep and concentrated on what his body was telling him. He forced his eyes open and saw that he was in a small room. A little light seeped in around the edges of a blackout curtain. The room was completely bare. Danny moved and found that his hands wouldn't do as he wanted. Glancing down, he realised with a flush of embarrassment that he was nude, apart from a wide leather belt fastened around his waist. His wrists were encased in broad, padded leather cuffs and padlocked to the belt. Similar broad cuffs were around his ankles and they were joined by a stiff piece of leather, effectively hobbling him. Jerking upright, Danny immediately became aware of the collar around his neck. He turned his aching, throbbing head and saw a chain leash leading from his collar to a stout ring embedded in the wall. The leash was padlocked to the ring.

Memory came trickling back and Danny remembered the sedative he'd been given, which probably accounted for the headache. Yuri! Yuri had done this to him! Danny's temper flared and he vowed that he would rip Yuri limb from limb when he got his hands on the man. He struggled against the confining leather, but he knew there was no way he would get free. The leather restraints were designed to stop violent patients hurting themselves and others and with his hands locked to his waist and already partially immobilised by bandages, there was no way he could get free.

As he took stock of his situation, thankful that the gag had gone, Danny's anger began to dissolve and fear crept in. Those other two cops had been killed. Had Yuri done it? Or was he working for someone else? Danny realised that his life expectancy was probably very short at best and felt his heart beat picking up. He really didn't want to die, but he could foresee no other outcome to this situation. The other cops had been held only a few hours before being murdered; why would it be any different for him?

He tried to force himself to think like a cop, examining the room as best he could in the dim light. There was nothing in there except dust, dirt and a metal bucket a few feet away. Danny guessed what that was for and swallowed hard. Someone meant to keep him here for a long time. Climbing awkwardly to his feet only exacerbated his thumping headache and showed him the limitation of his bonds. He could shuffle a few paces in any direction and stand up, but those were the limits of his movement. He shuffled to the wall and fiddled with the padlock, but it was brand new and shiny, as was the leash and it resisted his fumbling fingers. Worn out and discouraged, Danny slumped down against the wall. He wanted to massage his aching head to see if that would help, but he couldn't.

Despite his fear and foreboding, Danny was still in thrall to the sedative and combined with the darkness of the room, he slid back to sleep. He woke with a start as a key turned in the lock and felt a renewed flash of anger at the overkill. He was hobbled, bound and chained to the wall and they _still_ locked the door?

It wasn't entirely a surprise to see Matsukita entering the room. Danny had not known who had organised his kidnapping, but it seemed highly unlikely that some other criminal would suddenly harbour a desire to snatch him at exactly the same time as all this had kicked off. He was slightly surprised that there was no sign of Yuri. He was sure the other man would have come to gloat at his predicament.

"You should stand when I come in, Mr Williams," Matsukita chided him. "I shall forgive you this time, but you will do this in future. I hope I make myself clear." He looked expectantly at the captive detective.

"I expect you do," Danny replied insolently. He made no effort to get up. Passive and verbal resistance was all he could offer and he was not going to do as Matsukita told him.

The mob boss was unperturbed by his 'guest's' lack of cooperation. He snapped his fingers and his two over-sized goons crossed the room in a couple of steps and yanked Danny to his feet.

One of the things Danny had been taught in both his criminality course and at police academy was that kidnap victims were often stripped naked to increase their feelings of vulnerability. He was determined to ignore his nudity to the best of his ability, which he hoped would blunt Matsukita's power over him just a little, but it was proving very difficult to put into practice.

"Mr Williams," Matsukita reproved mildly, "there is no need to be rude. You will stand up when I come in and you need to bow as well. It is only good manners." When Danny gave no sign of having heard, let alone responding in the manner Matsukita wanted, the mob boss nodded and Danny's head was pulled down with one goon hauling on the front of the collar and the other pushing the back of his head. He supposed it was preferable to being punched in the stomach – the reaction he had expected – but it was difficult not to struggle, especially when he was not allowed to straighten up again.

"Consider this, Mr Williams," Matsukita purred, stroking Danny's hair. "At the moment, you are not particularly restricted. However, if you continue to defy and displease me, I can make your captivity a good deal less comfortable." The hands vanished, allowed Danny to stand straight again. "At the moment, you have full use of your senses. However, you really have no need of them anymore and I could take them away from you with just a click of my fingers."

"Do you ever do your own dirty work or do you get Yuri Adamson and these idiots to do it for you?" Danny retorted. His skin was creeping, knowing that he was doing himself no favours by this attitude, but unable to buckle under to this man's demands. He was Five-O and he was not going to humiliate himself by allowing his fear to make him do the parlour tricks this man demanded.

"You are determined to suffer, I see," the mob boss sighed mournfully. "It is such a pity to lose something so soon, but I suspected you would be difficult. I have first-hand knowledge of your stubborn refusal to accept captivity, you see, which is why I made sure I was completely prepared for your stay." He nodded and Danny was forced to his knees. His head was held up by his hair. One goon held his nose until Danny was forced to open his mouth to breathe and a gag was shoved behind his teeth. The broad leather pad was buckled tightly behind his head, well away from his restrained hands and he heard the click of a lock closing. Matsukita smiled. "As for Mr Adamson; he performed the task I set for him and as such outlived his usefulness. You, however, will be very useful to me for a very long time, Mr Williams, so I strongly suggest that you re-think your attitude. I cannot really believe that you want to live out the rest of your pitiful life unable to speak, see or hear." He turned and took a step away. "And you will bow when I leave, too," he added, turning round once more. Danny was yanked to his feet and this time the goon did punch him in the stomach and Danny crumped to his knees as his tormentors left.

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It took a long time for the ache in his body to disappear and Danny spent the time thinking about what had just happened. There was no doubt in his mind that that was what Matsukita wanted him to do. The disquieting implications of the mobster's words were that Danny was going to be in this position for a long time – a very long time. The question was why; why did Matsukita want to keep him alive? There could only be one answer and Danny was sickened. He was being held so that Steve McGarrett would do as Matsukita wanted him to.

The thought chilled him to his very marrow and he shuddered as he realised how this would all end for him when McGarrett, as Danny knew he would, refused to bend to Matsukita's demands. Images of the two dead police officers played in his mind and to them he added Yuri's bloodied body. His corpse would soon be joining them, he was sure, and his current tribulations were trivial by comparison. He wanted to scream and shout and rail against his fate, but the large pad in his mouth kept him silent. He remained sitting against the wall and waited for the next move in the game.

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	29. Chapter 29

"I need to know Yuri's movements as far as we can trace them," Steve ordered as a blanket was draped over the dead detective. Steve felt a pang of sorrow for a wasted life, but his over-riding emotion was still anger. He did not yet know how or why, but Yuri had clearly betrayed his fellow officer and for that, Steve could no forgive him. "I want to speak to the officer who was guarding Danno."

"That was me, sir," replied one of the uniformed cops, stepping forward. His face was pale.

"What happened?" Steve asked, working to keep his temper in check.

"Detective Adamson arrived to visit Detective Williams," the officer reported. "He spoke to the nurse at the desk first and she got a wheelchair for him. He left it outside the room. I knew him by sight, sir, so when he suggested that I take a break while he was there, I didn't see any harm in it. After all, Detective Williams wasn't being left alone without police protection. I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know that Detective Adamson would do something like this." He looked completely remorseful.

The urge to shout was almost overwhelming. "Did you not know that Detective Adamson had gone missing from a crime scene last night?" Steve barked.

The cop paled even further and took a tiny step back. "No sir," he asserted. "I only came back from vacation last night and this morning I was sent straight here before the morning briefing."

It was incredibly tempting to make a scapegoat of this poor man and damage his career to the point where he would spend his life walking the beat, but Steve knew that would not be fair. His story was obviously true and easy to check. Steve shot a glance at Duke, who nodded grim confirmation.

"This isn't your fault," Steve assured the distraught cop. No, he reflected as he turned away, it was the fault of the person who should have briefed the officer thoroughly. That person would be very sorry when Steve was through with him.

Leaving the body, Steve went to Danny's room. There was nothing to see. Danny had left voluntarily, an unwitting accomplice to his own kidnapping. Steve went to speak to the duty nurse.

"Yes, I agreed it would be good for Detective Williams to go to the lanai, she told Steve. "I knew he was under guard, but since Detective Adamson was a policeman, too, I thought it would be all right. He showed me his badge. I got a wheelchair for him. I didn't see any harm in it." She was a pretty girl on the verge of tears and Steve knew that Danny had been conducting an intense flirtation with her.

"This isn't your fault," Steve assured her, feeling like he was stuck in a groove, repeating the same thing over and over. He wanted to blame someone, but the person who was really to blame lay dead downstairs. Steve wondered what had led Yuri to do this. He could imagine few circumstances in which he would willingly betray his fellow police officers. He would rather die first. What kind of hold had there been?

"Steve." Kono came onto the room. Steve hadn't realised that he had drifted back in there. "A cleaner reports a big black sedan sitting outside the rear door for quite a while. She asked the driver if he should be there, and he told her he was waiting for an important passenger who was being released today and had to dodge any press who might be waiting at the front door."

"She believed the story?" Steve asked, thinking that the cleaning lady had had a very narrow escape indeed.

Kono nodded. "She says it happens quite a lot."

"Could she recognise the driver again?"

"She says so," the other nodded. "She's on the way to look at mug shots with Chin."

"Good!" This was the first break they had and Steve hoped that the woman's helpfulness would not wear off as it so often did with witnesses. "There's nothing more we can do here," Steve sighed. "Let's get back to the Palace and see what Che has for us."

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The cleaning lady came through for them. "Steve, she's identified the driver and a passenger she hadn't mentioned before," Chin reported over the phone. "Both are known associates of Matsukita."

"As if we expected it to be anybody else," Steve growled.

"I've issued an APB for them," Chin went on. "I have DMV looking for any vehicles registered in Matsukita's name and we'll issue APBs on them, too."

"Good, Chin. Well done." That was a step forward, even if he was no closer to getting Danny back. "Make sure that lady is well protected. We don't want anything happening to her or her family."

"It's take care of, Steve," Chin assured him. "I'll be back shortly."

Steve returned to the file of Matsukita he was perusing. He had known very little about the mob boss before the other night, but now he was very familiar with him. It angered Steve that this man had Danny and was presumably the person who had kidnapped and murdered three other police officers. He might not have done the dirty work himself, but he had certainly given the orders.

The phone buzzed and Steve answered it automatically. "McGarrett."

"Ah, good evening, Mr McGarrett," replied a smooth voice. "How pleasant to renew our acquaintance. I am so sorry that you found my accommodations inadequate the other night. I had hoped that we would become very close friends."

"No chance of that," Steve growled. "I demand you return my officer at once."

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that," Matsukita replied. "He is not the most well-mannered guest I have had, but he is learning to cooperate." He chuckled. "I have sent you something that belongs to Mr Williams to prove to you that I do have him in my keeping. He is alive at the moment and all in one piece, but how long he remains in one piece is dependent on your actions from now on. I shall phone you back in one hour. You shall find the photo at the front desk downstairs, unless someone there is kind enough to bring it up to you." There was a click as the line disconnected.

Anger and anxiety warred within Steve as he headed for the outer office. "Has anyone brought anything up to us?" he asked.

"No, Steve," May replied.

"I'll be right back," Steve said and vanished out of the door at high speed. They were at the horrible stage of waiting for forensic results and could do very little until they were in. Each hoped that Che would work a miracle and find something that would lead them to Danny at once.

Steve was back in a matter of moments, his face grim.

"What's wrong, boss?" Chin asked, coming in behind Steve.

"Matsukita has Danno," Steve replied.

"Auwe!" Kono breathed. "Da kaikaina – he all right?"

"Kaikaina?" Steve asked, confused.

"It means little brother," Kono explained.

"I see." That seemed appropriate, Steve thought distractedly. "As far as I know, Danny is all right. Matsukita sent me this." He held up Danny's hospital name tag, last seen on the young detective's wrist. "Matsukita is going to call me back in an hour." He drew the other two men into his office. "I want HPD to call in every single off-duty man," he ordered. "Tell them to prepare full riot gear and stand by. I have to speak urgently to the Governor."

As Kono grabbed for the phone, Steve hurried from the room. "I'll be with the Governor," he told May as he hurried past.

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"You want to do what?!" the Governor gasped. He was completely flabbergasted. "Steve…"

"Sir, I know it is drastic," Steve began but Jameson interrupted in his turn.

"Steve, I know how fond you are of Danny; I am too, but I can't let you do this to save only one man."

"Rescuing Danno is a high priority," Steve agreed, "but it is not my sole motivation. You know my stance, Governor. I don't give in to terrorists. If I do what Matsukita wants, then he will be in charge of this rock and anarchy will ensue. Matsukita was kept in check by Lee Wing Po and Po was kept in check by us because he wasn't a megalomaniac. Matsukita is. If you want Hawaii to continue to be welcoming to tourist and a nice place to live, then you must agree to let me act."

There was a long pause. Jameson's eyes were fixed on Steve's face, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. "You'd alert the hospitals?" Jameson asked.

"Yes, sir," Steve confirmed. He resisted looking at his watch. The large clock on the wall behind him ticked the seconds away loudly. Steve knew he would have to leave in the next five minutes to be back in his office to take Matsukita's call and set the ball rolling.

"I don't want to regret doing this, Steve," Jameson warned soberly. "Very well; you have my permission."

"Thank you, sir." Steve leapt to his feet. His plan was audacious, but he was sure it would work. It had to work – it wasn't just Danny's life on the line; it was the whole of Oahu and the Hawaiian way of living.

"Do this right," Jameson said as he rose, too. "Get Matsukita and bring Danny out alive."

"I will," Steve promised.

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	30. Chapter 30

In the few minutes he had in hand before the phone call, Steve outlined his plan. Both detectives were used to Steve coming up with something out of the ordinary, but this plan was brilliant and outrageous even by his standards. "You think we can pull it off?" Kono asked.

"We've got to," Steve replied. "Chin, I want you on standby on the other line to trace Matsukita's call. Once we know where he was calling from, we cordon off the area tight!"

"I'll be ready," Chin promised. He went to the phone in the outer office and stood waiting. Steve paced and Kono resisted the temptation to bite his nails.

The phone rang.

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The sun had gone from his side of the building and the room was almost totally dark. Exhausted from his ordeal, Danny slumped against the wall and drew his knees close to his body to try and conserve his body heat. He had seen no-one since Matsukita left and his struggles against the unyielding restraints had depleted his meagre reserves of stamina, reminding him that he had only been allowed out of bed that morning after almost three days on a drip. Now that the sedative and his morning painkillers had worn off, Danny was becoming increasingly more aware of how achy he still was.

The key clicked in the lock and despite himself, Danny felt his heart rate increase. He squinted against an expected flood of light from the hallway outside, but it didn't come. An indistinct figure slipped in and the door closed and was locked from the inside. Next moment, Danny was blinded by the beam of a flashlight.

"Mr Williams," whispered a male voice. It held enough of an accent for Danny to surmise that English was not the speaker's first language. "You will not remember me. I am Li. You helped me long ago get out of trouble. I not able to keep out of trouble. Sorry. I come to help you escape."

Escape! Danny's heart leapt. He tried to rein in his hope, because it was all too possible that he would be caught, but it was impossible to be totally realistic. However, he got his first reality check a moment later. Li knelt by him and Danny got his first good look at Li and recognised him at once. His heart sank. Li was scrawny and undersized and none-too-bright. It didn't surprise him that the kid was in trouble again. Danny felt his excitement deflate' how could Li help him?

"I get keys," Li whispered and displayed them. Danny felt his pessimism lift, but after Li tried all the keys in the belt lock, it returned full force. None of the keys fitted or turned the lock.

The depressing of ritual of trial and error went on and Danny could smell Li's fear. He was grateful that the kid wanted to help, but if he was caught, he would be killed and Li knew it. Danny did not want to be responsible for Li's death.

As despair overtook him, Danny heard, to his stunned disbelief, the lock on his collar open. Li eased it from around his neck. Danny wished he could speak, but the complicated closing mechanism of the gag had so far eluded the youngster.

"I have knife," Li breathed. "Be still, please."

Freezing in place, Danny felt the blade slide flat against his skin under the gag strap. He thought it was a wasted effort, but after several minutes of stop-start sawing, he detected a slight loosening ad in less than half an hour, Li was pulling the hated object from Danny's mouth. "Thank you," Danny breathed.

"I try belt?" Li asked brightly, but Danny knew they had taken enough risk for the moment. They had to get out of there before someone came to torment Danny or Li's absence was noticed. A glance at the dull knife blade told Danny that it would not be anything like sharp enough to hack through either the thick leather belt or hobbles.

"We need to get out of here," he urged and struggled to his feet.

"Wait." Li reached into the pocket of his ragged, far-too-big pants and drew out a folded object that turned out to be a ti-leaf skirt. It was utterly incongruous, but Danny felt a million times better wearing it.

"Mahalo." Danny's voice was almost gone. His mouth was bone dry. "Let's get out of here."

Nodding, Li went to the door and put his ear to the wood. After several moments, he nodded and unlocked the door. Shuffling after him, Danny concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and not falling. He was determined to get out of there alive so that he could protect the courageous Li.

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"So, Mr McGarrett, have you thought over my proposition?" Matsukita enquired silkily.

"I have," Steve agreed tightly.

"And?"

"I need some more time," Steve told him. In the outer office, Chin was on the other line, tracing the call. "You only gave me an hour. This is a big decision."

"Mr McGarrett, do you want me to do your associate some harm? Would that persuade you?" There was a trace of impatience in the normally smooth voice.

"No!" Steve shouted. "No," he repeated more calmly. "Don't hurt Danno! I would like to talk to him."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Matsukita replied. "Mr Williams can no longer talk."

That was a horrifying sentence and Steve did not know whether to believe the worst implications or hope that Matsukita was just pulling his chain. He had no way to know if Danny was all right or not and he had to play this perfectly to fool Matsukita and save Hawaii from untold misery.

"I'll do as you wish," Steve capitulated in as humble a voice as he could manage. He had had very little practice at humbling his pride. "What do you want me to do?"

"At this moment, I want you to remain in your office until such times as I call you again. If that is in a few minutes or a few days, you may not leave that office, do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand." Steve was still watching Chin, waiting for the signal that they had the information they needed.

"When I call you again, I will have a task for you. It will be a task that you will find distasteful, but if you do not perform it to the best of your ability, I will start to hurt Mr Williams. If I am forced to hurt him, I will make sure that you are present to witness his distress." The calmness of Matsukita's voice made the threat even more chilling. "If I find you have left the office, I will be very angry. You would regret making me angry."

"I understand," Steve repeated. He saw Chin turn towards him, his face alight with triumph. They had the call traced!

"Goodbye for now, Mr McGarrett," Matsukita said and hung up.

"Got it, Steve!" Chin cried. "Got it!"

"Excellent! Let's get this plan underway!" Steve urged and they left the office at a run.

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	31. Chapter 31

"Close down the area from the junction of Auiki Street and the Sand Island Access Road right along to the North Nimitz Highway," Steve ordered. "Block access from Sand Island as well. I want the Honolulu Harbour piers 39-45 completely isolated. The power company should be on standby. Let me know as soon as you are in position." He felt a surge of satisfaction as the responses came in. There would only be skeleton cover on the streets until this was sewn up, but Steve was sure that it would all be over within the hour. "Are the hospitals ready?" When the affirmative came, Steve gave the order. "Shut down all electricity over the city."

It was this that had given the Governor pause. It was a drastic measure to take, but with the threats that Matsukita was issuing and the deaths of three police officers already, with the implications of more to come, plus the explicit threats to Danny, the situation was desperate enough to warrant his agreement. The hospitals had been given warning so that they could have their back-up generators ready to go when they were given the word and the promise was that the power would be off no more than a minute longer than necessary and for no longer than an hour regardless of the outcome of the offensive.

It was incredibly odd to see the streets in darkness without a storm of some kind in the background. The sun had already set, so there was very little ambient light. The police cars approached silently. Matsukita's call had traced to a building on pier 41 and Steve did not want to give him a chance to escape. An officer had been dispatched at once and kept discreet watch and they were as sure as they could be that he was still there.

The officers blocking the roads were in full riot gear. Steve took along a couple of dozen of them as back up for himself and his detectives. They approached on foot and other officers brought up cars behind them as roadblocks. They approached using shielded flashlights and when Steve saw cars sitting close by, he dispatched officers to disable them. Beckoning to Kono and Chin, he crept closer and stopped by the pedestrian door of the large warehouse on pier 41.

There was no lock visible and the handle turned silently under Steve's hand. He signalled to the other men to get into position and then he drew his gun. Nodding, he slowly opened the door and they entered the darkened building.

It was obvious the moment they were inside that Matsukita's men had been caught unawares by the blackout. Confused shouts echoed through the building and there was more than a little cursing as men stumbled over unseen obstacles. This was the moment when having the lights back on would be a big advantage, but it would also give the criminals an advantage, too and Steve did not want that. He wanted them as off-balance as they could be; that gave him much more chance to capture them all and avoid unnecessary gun play.

With gestures, he indicated to Kono and Chin where he wanted them to go. He was going to tackle the upstairs section, judging that there would be only a few rooms up there from the echoing shouts from within. That spoke to Steve of open air in the main part of the warehouse and a few small rooms on the second floor. Chin was going to the right, Kono to the left. The men outside would wait for two more minutes, then enter. Steve prayed that nothing would go wrong. He gave the signal and started to climb the stairs. He hoped that he would find Danny there.

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The metal stairs at the end of the corridor were too exposed for them to risk traversing. The stairs at the other end could only be reached by passing Matsukita's office with its open doorway. Danny knew he ought to come up with a way they could get down the steps without being seen, but he couldn't think of a single thing. His ability to move was severely hampered and he knew the stairs were going to be a challenge – a really big challenge. He was grateful for the ti-leaf skirt that hid his nakedness, but it hardly made him inconspicuous! He drew Li into a shadowy corner. "Is there anywhere up here where we might find tools?" he whispered.

After a moment of thought, Li shook his head, but Danny was not sure if he meant that there was nothing to help them or if he really didn't know. The youngster's courage was visibly seeping away and Danny knew he would have to find a way for them both to get out before the kid panicked. Although Li had insisted to Danny when he was picked up that he was 18, Danny was pretty sure that Li had been no more than 14 or 15 at the time.

Drawing Li with him, Danny began to shuffle towards Matsukita's office. The kid looked petrified, but Danny smiled as reassuringly as he could. The open door might mean that Matsukita was not in the office and then they would be able to look for the keys to Danny's bonds. If he was there, then Danny would need to think again – and he was fresh out of ideas.

As they drew closer, Danny could hear voices emanating from the office. He stopped and listened, recognising Matsukita's voice, but he couldn't catch any words. After a few moments, he realised the mobster was probably speaking Japanese. He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting off the growing fatigue and a tremble in his limbs. What could they do?

Abruptly, the lights went out. There was a moment of pause, then exclamations of annoyance broke out. Danny recognised his chance at once and reached for Li, but the slight youth was no longer beside him. Danny turned his head, but in the pitch dark, it was impossible to see anything. Calling him was out of the question and Danny was hardly in a position to search for him.

Wherever Li had gone, Danny had no way of finding him and had to concentrate on getting out of there. He began to shuffle carefully towards the stairs, one hand on the wall to make sure he didn't stray. He hoped he would be able to get to the stairs before anyone managed to repair the lighting. Crossing the open doorway would be the most dangerous part, but in the dark, Danny hoped he would be invisible.

Several things happened at once. Li came out of nowhere and grabbed Danny's elbow, startling him, and tugging to encourage Danny to move faster. Danny lost control of his bound feet and tripped, just as he reached the open doorway and someone came out. Danny had no way to control his fall and hit the new person a direct blow, taking them both down. Li let out a shriek and Danny knew the gig was up. He rolled off the person he had knocked down, but rising was tricky and he gasped as the other person grabbed his arm in a bruising grip. Li still had the other arm and was pulling with surprising strength. Danny was completely unable to pull either arm out of either grip and his aching body sent up a chorus of disapproval that had him catching his breath to stop from crying aloud.

Moments later, light hit them from the direction of the stairs. "Police! Hold it!" shouted a familiar voice.

It was Steve.

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The sounds of scuffling reached Steve's ears and he prepared himself as he cleared the stairs and shone his light down the corridor. To his relief and horror, Danny was on the floor, with a young Oriental guy hauling on one arm and a larger Oriental guy hauling on the other. "Police! Hold it!" he ordered and saw Danny's head come up. However, his order had no discernible effect on either of the Orientals.

Things were further confused when another man came out of the open door and pointed a gun at Steve. The Five-O chief quickly moved to confront this new threat and fired only a micro-second after the gun-wielding thug. Steve felt the wind of the bullet as it whizzed past his cheek to embed somewhere in the wall behind him, but his shot was better. The thug went down.

That hadn't stopped the bizarre tug-of-war that was still going on on the floor. Steve ran towards them, knowing he had to secure the gun. He was only a step or two away when the large Oriental guy won the tug-of-war and Danny toppled over on top of him. Steve, with a jolt, realised the large Oriental was Matsukita and he now literally had his hands on Danny.


	32. Chapter 32

The thug Steve had shot was groaning on the floor. Ignoring him, Steve kicked the gun out of reach and focused his attention on Danny and Matsukita. Somewhere at the back of his mind, Steve was trying to fathom Danny's bizarre appearance, but the forefront of his mind was on subduing the mob boss before he did Danny any harm.

The young Oriental boy, having lost his balance and fallen over when Danny was torn from his grasp lunged for the thug's gun. Steve, unaware of who Li was, changed his focus to death with this new threat first.

From his position on the floor, one of Matsukita's hands in his hair, the other on his throat, Danny saw Li's danger in the fitful light from Steve's flashlight. "No!" he shouted, his voice nowhere near as strong as he wanted. "Li! Steve! No!" He broke off as Matsukita released his hair and backhanded him across the mouth.

His detective's cry made Steve pause for a heartbeat, unsure of Danny's meaning. Li, on the other hand, froze in place, accustomed to doing what he was told. He looked at Danny, distress written clearly on his face. "Mr Williams?"

Danny had no time or breath to answer. He was completely helpless against the mobster's grip.

Disregarding the cowering youngster, Steve dealt with the most pressing danger first. He swung round on Matsukita and his light showed that the mobster did not have a gun in his hands. Steve moved in, and the mob boss slithered back across the floor, moving into the doorway. Behind him, Steve sensed the youngster moving, and Matsukita's eyes widened suddenly, focused behind Steve.

It was the opportunity Steve had been waiting for. He took a quick step forward and crashed his gun down on Matsukita's head. The mobster went down at once, his body on top of Danny.

From the stairs came sounds of back up. Steve looked over his shoulder and saw that Li was holding the thug's gun. He was shaking like a leaf, the gun as much a danger to himself as to others. "Put the gun down," Steve advised and turned back to Matsukita, pulling the unconscious man's arms behind his back, cuffing him and rolling him to the floor, at once kneeling by the gasping Danny.

Partially within the room, Steve had not realised that Li was still clutching the gun. "Police! Drop it!" shouted a very familiar voice and Steve whirled to see Li still clutching the gun and vaguely pointing it in the direction of Kono's voice. Before he could do anything, Kono fired and Li fell to the ground.

Beside Steve, Danny jerked and Steve realised more clearly that Danny was concerned about this youngster. He patted his man and leapt to his feet, going straight over to Li. The youth was curled in on himself, crying. The bullet had caught his arm, but the wound didn't look too serious. "You'll be all right," Steve soothed and slapped a handkerchief over the bleeding wound, placing the youth's other hand over it to try and staunch the bleeding. He exchanged a glance with Kono and went back to Danny. "Danno! Are you okay?"

With little breath and almost no voice, Danny opted to nod. He knew that he wasn't 100% okay, but he understood Steve's question was aimed at life-threatening injuries and he had none of those.

"Steve?" Kono was peering over Steve's shoulder. "We got them, boss!"

"Good work. Get the electricity back on wikiwiki and get a couple of ambulances. That boy seems to be with Danno. Lift the roadblocks and get as many officers in here as we need to thoroughly search the place."

"Ambulances on the way," Kono reported. He spoke into the radio he carried. "Done, boss. Danny! You okay, bruddah?" Like Steve, he collected a short nod. A sly grin slid over Kono's face. "Nice skirt, bro," he teased.

Danny shot the Hawaiian detective a withering look, but he guessed if the positions were reversed, he would have had a smart comment to make, too. A slight grin tugged at the corner of his mouth, but smiling hurt and it died quickly.

"See if you can find some keys for these locks," Steve ordered. "Then search the office."

"Li had some keys," Danny whispered.

"Li?"

Nodding at the youngster, Danny haltingly explained what Li had done to help him. Steve patted Danny's shoulder and smiled at Li. "Can I get those keys?" he asked gently, sensing how scared the youth was.

Slowly, Li extended the keys. He edged closer to Danny, his eyes fearful. "It's all right," Danny croaked. "Steve is my friend."

The lights came on with shocking suddenness, causing them all to duck their heads. Matsukita groaned, but Steve ignored him. He was too busy looking at Danny now that he had proper light in which to do so. He was appalled at the bonds Danny was wearing and there were marks on his face that Steve did not really want to identify but guessed were caused by a gag. The incongruous ti-leaf skirt was currently doing very little to hide the fact that Danny was stark naked underneath it. Steve burned with outrage at the indignities and brutality that his detective had had to face.

Having proper light made the search for keys go much more quickly. Like Li, Steve found that none of the keys fitted Danny's bonds, but Kono found another bunch tucked away in the back of a drawer and they opened all the locks. Before long, Danny's limbs were free and he cautiously stretched them, wary of his aching midriff.

By now, Matsukita was awake and swearing up a blue storm, but everyone ignored him, apart from to make sure he didn't make a break for freedom. Li huddled silently next to Danny, who rested a gentle hand on the youngster's shoulder. Danny was now overwhelmed with fatigue and could barely keep his eyes open.

The office was soon crowded with police and the noise level began to rise. As ambulance attendants came on to the scene and Steve started issuing them orders, Danny felt his body begin to shake. He was suddenly freezing cold and his head began to spin. Steve, who had been hovering over his officer, realised there was something no right, and crouched down beside him. "Danno?" He put his hand on Danny's shoulder and was immediately struck by how cold his friend was. At once, he beckoned to the ambulance attendants. "Over here! Quickly!"

"What's… happening?" Danny gasped. He was suddenly drifting, barely conscious and when he opened his eyes again, time had clearly passed. He was lying on a stretcher, an IV hanging above him, with his feet raised. Warm blankets were wrapped around him and Steve was looking down on him with an anxious expression.

"Shock," the attendant explained. "We're taking you to hospital."

"Li…" Danny began, but found it hard to get the words out.

"Li is going as well," Steve said. "I'll join you soon and you can tell me about Li then. Deal?"

Too drained to argue, Danny nodded. "Deal," he whispered.


	33. Chapter 33

The keys that Li had in his possession proved to be duplicates of the ones Matsukita had on his person and opened every conceivable drawer, filing cabinet and cupboard in the warehouse. The mob boss had files on everything and everyone, account books filled with columns of figures and details of innumerable bank accounts. The floor of the warehouse was covered with illicit goods of varying descriptions, including enough heroin and cocaine to make all the cops rich men. The lab boys were going to have a field day cataloguing it all. Steve issued orders about guarding the drugs and other goods. He was impatient to get to the hospital to find out if Danny was all right, but knew he had to have every single step in place for a haul of this size. Even a tiny fraction of the drugs going missing would cause wide-spread misery on the island.

"Steve." It was Chin, Kono beside him and they both looked deadly serious. "Better come and see this."

Leaving the continuing search of the office to the HPD and lab boys, Steve followed his detectives along the corridor to another room. He saw at once that this had to be where Danny had been kept. The collar chained to the wall made his blood burn and the sight of the thick gag almost caused him to throw up. "Get the lab boys in here," Steve ordered hoarsely. He could see teeth marks in the pad of the gag and guessed that the lab would be able to match those marks to Danny's dental records. It would prove conclusively that Danny had been a prisoner there, which was another huge strike against the mobster, but it left Steve feeling incredibly uneasy. Matsukita had had Danny completely at his mercy; what had he done to the young detective?

"I'll be at the hospital," Steve announced abruptly. "Chin, you take over here."

"Right, boss," Chin agreed soberly.

"He takin' this hard," Kono murmured softly as Steve left the room.

"Me, too, bruddah," Chin agreed. "Me, too."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It appeared that Danny was asleep when Steve arrived at the hospital. He was disturbed to find his detective was still in the emergency room; more than an hour had passed since the ambulance had taken him away and Steve had assumed he would be settled back upstairs in the room from which he had been forcibly taken only hours earlier.

As he stepped quietly into the small room, he was relieved to see Danny's eyes open. The younger man smiled lopsidedly, his puffy lower lip distorting his usually wide smile. "Hi, Steve," he said, his voice still gravelly, but stronger than it had been.

"How are you?" Steve asked, coming to stand by his side.

"The doc says I'm gonna live," Danny replied lightly. He really didn't want to go into the details of dehydration and what that had done to his barely recovered kidneys, or the horrific amount of bruising that was spreading over his abdomen. "He took some x-rays and is waiting for them."

"X-rays? What does he think you broke?" Steve asked.

"Ribs, maybe," Danny replied. He was still beyond tired, although his symptoms of shock had resolved. All he wanted to do was sleep, but he couldn't quite bring himself to actually fall asleep. "I think he might have said something about internal bleeding."

"What?" Steve was alarmed. Internal bleeding was serious. "Where is he?"

"I'm right here," Bergman replied, coming into the room with a large envelope in hand. He walked over to the light box on the wall and pulled the x-rays from the packet. He studied them closely as Danny closed his eyes again. Steve rested a hand on Danny's arm in silent support.

Finally, Bergman turned around and stood opposite Steve. "I'm just going to feel your abdomen again," he informed Danny and the supine detective nodded without opening his eyes. Steve could feel him tensing beneath his hand.

Although Danny wince through the entire procedure, Steve could see from Bergman's face that the doctor was not entirely displeased with whatever it was he found – or did not find. Danny's abdomen was discolouring rapidly, almost as Steve watched, and he was appalled. "Well?" he demanded when Doc pulled the hospital gown down and the blankets back up.

"No internal bleeding that I can find," Bergman reported, looking at Danny's still, tense face. "Danny, I'm going to transfer you upstairs shortly."

At that, Danny's eyes opened. "Do I lose this?" he asked, indicating the drip.

"You know the answer to that already," Doc barked. "And before you ask, the Foley stays put as well." Looking irritated, which was not an entirely unusual occurrence, Doc headed for the door. "I'll get you something to help you sleep. You could probably do with some more painkillers as well."

Deciding he would speak to Bergman later, Steve concentrated on Danny. "Tell me about Li," he requested.

"I first met Li when I was just a rookie," Danny explained. "I picked him up on suspicion of shop-lifting. I couldn't prove anything, so I gave him a talking-to and warned him to stay out of trouble. I haven't seen him since then until tonight. He's an orphan, Steve, and he's trying to be a good kid. He helped me out of a really tough hole tonight and he knew the dangers. If Matsukita had caught him, Li would have been killed."

"Do you think he would have had anything to do with Matsukita's business?" Steve asked.

"As an errand boy, no more," Danny replied. "He told me he was 18, but I think he was lying. I don't think he's more than 18 now, maybe even younger. I doubt if he knows anything specific about Matsukita. Steve, I don't want him to suffer for helping me. I don't want him to go to prison."

"There's no danger of that," Steve assured the younger man. "We'll keep an eye on him for his own safety and perhaps you can talk him into turning state's evidence. We have nothing to charge him with and a lot to be grateful for." Steve knew that Danny would feel empathy towards the young orphan, having been there himself not too long ago. "We can make sure he gets the help he needs until he turns 18."

"Mahalo." It was a weight off Danny's shoulders. He had been afraid that Li would be implicated in Matsukita's murky business, but now he felt he could relax.

A couple of orderlies came in and Steve assured Danny he would stop by his room for a few minutes before he left for the night and went to find Li. The youngster had been sent to the hospital with a police guard, since Steve had no idea of how he was involved with the situation. He was pleased to see Li looking much better, his arm stitched and bandaged and tucking into a meal. He looked horrified when Steve came in, but Steve soon put the youngster at ease, explaining he would stay the night at the hospital and the next day, they would find a place for him to live. Li looked astonished at this news. Nobody had ever done anything like that for him. He stuttered out something that Steve took as thanks. It was difficult to decipher what he had said.

His next stop was Matsukita. The mob boss had a mild concussion and was under strict guard in a jail room on the top floor. It gave Steve great joy to charge him with multiple offences, starting with kidnapping a police officer, unlawful imprisonment and going on to drugs charges. There would be more to come as they unravelled all the paperwork at the warehouse, but that was enough to be going on with. Matsukita tried to claim police brutality, but Steve simply ignored that.

His next mission was to talk to Bergman and he tracked him down at the nurses' station outside Danny's room. "How is he, Doc?" he asked.

"He was very dehydrated when he was brought in," Bergman replied. "I don't know what they drugged him with when he was kidnapped, but it didn't do him any favours. His kidneys are sluggish again, so I've got him on high-level fluids again for a few days. I want to keep an eye on that bruising on his abdomen. It's pretty serious, although Danny says he was only punched the once. However, we have no idea what might have happened to him when he was unconscious. It might only be because he was just getting over that hair-brained stunt he pulled the other night; it might be because his kidneys aren't too happy. I'll keep a close eye on it. Apart from that, he's exhausted, probably hungry and should talk to a psychiatrist about what he went through." Bergman eyed Steve knowingly as the other man reacted to the word psychiatrist. "But I'm guessing you don't like that last bit."

"It would destroy his career before it even gets going," Steve said, flatly. He was no believer in shrinks and knew that although it was becoming almost standard procedure for police officers who had suffered some sort of trauma to see a shrink, he had noticed that the men who did so quickly found their career paths going sideways. In time, that would be overcome, he was sure, but he didn't want that happening to Danny. He was Danny's boss and could ensure his man would come back to work without losing any seniority or his promotion, but the talk from others officers in HPD could be the death knell.

"Well, you'll have to see how he copes and if he needs to see someone…" Bergman raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure we can deal with it quietly and not draw unnecessary attention to it," Steve concluded smoothly.

Danny was on the shadowy edges of sleep when Steve entered the room. He looked incredibly young. "How old are you?" Steve asked, although he was sure he should know.

"Almost 27," Danny replied and Steve remembered the night he had saved the Governor's life, when Danny had said he was almost 24.

"How near to being 24 were you when you helped take down Kimi?" Steve asked.

"About a week," Danny smiled.

"And how close to 27 are you now?"

After a beat, Danny replied, "Six months."

Despite himself, Steve laughed. "Get some rest," he urged. "You're safe now. Matsukita's locked up tight. Li is fine. We'll talk in the morning."

The drugs in his system were winning. Danny's eyelashes drooped and he sighed sleepily. "Are you going to fire me?" he asked.

"No, Danno," Steve assured him. "Not this side of Doomsday."


	34. Chapter 34

There wasn't much of the night left by the time Steve got home. He returned to the warehouse to ensure that everything was under control there before he detoured to HPD HQ to check on the men who had been arrested and to make sure the drugs were locked up securely. Only then, completely worn out, he told the equally exhausted Chin and Kono to come in late the following day and went home.

It was hard to switch off. There were a lot of small details that needed to be attended to in the morning. Stripping off his suit, Steve luxuriated under a hot shower, washing away the megrims and anxieties of the day. His body felt more relaxed after that and Steve lay down in his darkened bedroom and closed his eyes.

It could not be said that he enjoyed the fitful, dream-filled periods that masqueraded as rest that night, but he at least got a couple of hours of shut-eye. He was up and at his desk at almost his usual time the next morning, reassuring the anxious May that Danny was safe and sound and would be back to work soon.

After phoning the hospital to check on Danny and Li, Steve set about trying to find out more about Li. It wasn't an easy task, but at long last, with the help of a snitch from Chinatown, Steve was able to piece together Li's story.

The family had arrived from Japan when Li was 13 or 14. It seemed that Matsukita had brought them across so that he could utilise the father's accountancy skills. They lived in a very poor area and one day when Li was at school, there had been a fire in a local café which spread through a number of the shanty-type houses, killing both of Li's parents, among others. Steve made a mental note to check out what had caused the fire.

Li was taken in by neighbours and was taught to shoplift and pick pockets to earn his keep. The following year, he was all but sold to a small-time hustler, which was roughly when he came into contact with Danny. However, it seemed Matsukita was keeping an eye on the boy, for after a few trouble-free months living in Juvie, Li disappeared and resurfaced running errands for the Matsukita organisation. Steve thought it was nothing short of a miracle that Li had not been forcibly addicted to drugs to make him more obedient.

There was still something of a question mark over Li's age, but Steve estimated that he was still no more than 17. He rang a contact at the Child Welfare Services and called in a favour to get Li placed at once with a respected Japanese foster family instead of him going back into Juvie. Steve knew the family and knew they would put Li back on the straight and narrow. Li was not a bad kid; he had just had a run of bad luck. Satisfied that he had made the best choice for Li, Steve asked May to get a courier to take money to the family so they could buy some suitable clothing for Li. The clothes the youngster had been wearing the night before were only fit for the trash.

Shortly after that, the Attorney General, Walter Stuart, arrived to go over all the charges that Matsukita would face. They included kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, three counts of murder, possession of illegal drugs, smuggling, receiving stolen goods, blackmail and extortion. There was no doubt that Matsukita would go down for a very long time.

When Stuart left, May told Steve that the Governor wanted to speak to him as soon as possible. A statement had to be made to the press soon and the Governor wanted to learn all the details so that he could get the statement drafted. As Steve prepared to leave the office, Chin and Kono came in and Steve dispatched them to escort Matsukita from the jail ward of the hospital to Oahu prison itself. He would go there later to question the mob boss personally.

It was already nearing lunch time and Steve hadn't realised he was hungry until he was admitted to the Governor's office and smelt the coffee and saw the plates of sandwiches and fruit. He ate hungrily while he briefed the Governor and they worked on a joint statement for the press. Steve was more than happy to let Jameson take charge of delivering it; he could keep his temper with reporters whereas Steve almost invariably ended up snapping at them as he lost his temper.

Steve's next stop was at the hospital to take Danny's statement. He was gratified to see the younger man sitting up in bed, his colour much better than it had been the night before and there was an empty plate on a tray. Steve noticed that some of the bandages had gone from Danny's hands. That was good news.

"Hi, Steve." Danny's lower lip was still swollen, but the disturbing marks on his face on his gag had gone. A drip still ran into his left arm and he shifted position with a great deal of care.

"You look a lot better," Steve observed, smiling back.

"I am," Danny agreed. "I'm ready to get out of here and get back to work, but Doc Bergman almost blew a gasket when I suggested it."

"Well, you might be jumping the gun a bit," Steve cautioned. "How's the pain?"

At that, Danny's face fell a bit. "I still get a bit," he hedged and Steve guessed that meant quite a lot.

"I'd rather you were completely honest with me," Steve informed him. "How much is 'a bit'?"

After a momentary internal struggle, Danny admitted, "It can be pretty bad."

"Then stay till Doc says otherwise," Steve counselled, hoping that Danny did not know of his own habit of leaving the moment he felt ready, regardless of what the doctor said. "I need you fit and well." He sat down in the visitor's chair. "Are you ready to tell me about yesterday?" he asked gently.

The smile slid away from Danny's face and he shifted uncomfortably. All the same, he didn't hesitate longer than it took him to collect his thoughts. Speaking quietly, he outlined Adamson's arrival and the injection of sedative. His face flushed with colour as he recounted waking to find himself not only a prisoner, but stark naked, too. He told Steve of Matsukita's taunting, the threats to keep him a prisoner as a lever and the admission that he had killed Yuri. He brushed over in a single sentence the gag and went on to tell of Li's help. "The rest you know better than I do," he concluded. He reached cautiously for the glass of juice on his tray, but even that careful movement made him wince. Steve was already there before him and handed him the glass.

"Danno, did…" Steve hated to ask this, but he had to know. "Danno, did Matsukita do… anything… to you while you were a prisoner?"

Colour stained Danny's neck, face and ears and he looked away. "No," he replied. "He didn't sexually abuse me." He glanced up to meet Steve's understanding eyes. "But if I had been there for a long time, who knows?"

"Sorry I had to ask that."

"It's fine," Danny replied, although the colour was still staining his face. "How's Li?"

More than willing to accept the change of subject, Steve told him what he had found out about the youngster and the arrangements that had been made for him. Danny tried to thank Steve, but the older man would not let him get the words out. "You persuade him to turn state's evidence and that is thanks enough," Steve insisted.

"Bring him here before he leaves and I'll talk to him," Danny promised.

"I'll go and see him right now," Steve replied. He went to the door and hesitated before opening it, turning back to look at his newest detective. "Danno – I'm glad you're all right," he said gruffly and made a hasty departure before Danny could say anything.


	35. Chapter 35

Steve never knew what Danny said to Li, but the youngster agreed to testify for the state. He settled into his new foster home with hardly a hiccup, returned to school and started behaving like any normal teenager. Steve hoped it would last.

Initially, Matsukita refused to say a single word as Steve questioned him, his very expensive, high-class lawyer advising him that none of the charges would stick, especially not the murder charges, so he had nothing to worry about. However, as the investigation at the warehouse continued, more charges piled up and his men agreed to testify against him for reduced sentences, Matsukita began to look worried when Steve returned to question him time after time. Then the lawyer began to look worried and then disappeared entirely to be replaced by a lawyer who had a good deal less prestige and a lot less to lose. Shortly after that came the inevitable day when Matsukita tried to make a deal. It gave Steve a great deal of satisfaction to be able to say no. There was such a mountain of evidence against him that it was utterly inconceivable that any jury could find him not guilty. The day before the trial was due to begin, Matsukita bowed to the vagaries of fate and pleaded guilty, hoping that would mitigate his sentence slightly. He was to be disappointed, for he was sentenced to 200 years imprisonment and sent to the mainland to serve it out. He would never see Hawaii again.

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During all the to-ing and fro-ing, Danny made a steady recovery and was discharged four days after his re-admittance. He spent a further four days at home resting. He spent most of them on the beach and when he returned to light duty at the Five-O offices, his skin was glowing with good health, a golden tan and slightly sunburned shoulders.

Since Danny was still restricted in what he was allowed to do, Steve decided to use the time to teach Danny about the often ridiculous amount of paperwork that their jobs entailed. It went well beyond the usual reports required by HPD. Steve had monthly budget chits for expenses, rotas for on-call and courtesy reports for the Governor. Then there were security visits and reports for various parades, dinners, visiting VIPs, contingency and disaster planning. They had to liaise with not only HPD but the forces on the other islands as well and be prepared to leave to go to any of those islands at a moment's notice.

Initially, it seemed overwhelming, but not everything had to be done every day and Danny was soon getting the hang of it, making notes to himself of the evenings Chin had child-related activities to attend to and rostering either himself, Kono of Steve on call those nights. It was the same when it came to holidays. Kono was not married, but he came from a large, close-knit family and Danny pencilled in his and/or Steve's names on those occasions. It was strangely satisfying to Danny to master the paperwork. He felt he was being of use to Steve, especially when he was still on restricted duty.

The week following his return to work, Steve took Danny shopping to buy a rifle. Five-O was paying for it, but Danny was to consider it his own. In the gun shop, Steve said nothing as Danny pointed out the rifle he wanted and handled it with reverence. A deal was struck to everyone's satisfaction and their next stop was the shooting range. Danny was soon at the heart of an admiring cluster of HPD officers as he showed off his skills with the gleaming weapon.

It seemed to Steve that Danny had been a part of Five-O forever, not just a few short weeks. He had slipped right into place, joking with Chin and Kono, listening and learning, flirting gently with the secretaries and offering insightful suggestions about the cases they had on their plates.

Shortly after Danny came out of hospital, Steve had delicately suggested that if he needed someone to talk to about his experiences at Matsukita's hands, something could be put in place. Danny had briskly – even brusquely – replied that he was fine thank you very much and the subject was dropped. Steve was impressed and approving of his officer's self-reliance. It was never mentioned again.

Danny healed quickly and he was back to full duties within a few weeks, clearly none the worse for his adventure. His own Five-O shield had arrived, bearing his name and he was issued with a 'company' LTD and the call sign 'Five-O-Two'. Chin and Kono had exchanged glances at that and Danny was reminded of his first day with Five-O and the glance they had exchanged as he left with Steve and he finally got the chance to ask about it.

"Uh…" Kono offered and glanced at Chin again.

"Come on, tell me," Danny coaxed.

"No big thing, bruddah," Chin smiled. "We just wondered if anyone had warned you about Steve's driving."

"Steve's driving?" Danny remembered clutching the dashboard. "Does he always drive like that?"

"Oh yeah," Kono responded blithely. "Scared away lots of guys with just his driving. Others left because of his …" Kono hesitated again.

"Intensity?" Chin suggested.

"Yeah, yeah, that's a good word," Kono agreed.

"Well, I guess he has to be pretty intense, running the state police and all," Danny nodded. "I don't see why the driving or his intensity would scare guys off though."

There was no response to that apart from Kono's big smile and Chin's answering nod. Danny had no idea what any of it meant, but when he glanced at the secretary, May was also smiling, clearly following the whole sub-plot with ease. "So what does that mean?" he demanded and Kono laughed.

"We were right," he replied obtusely and with that, Danny had to be satisfied.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As they settled into life with Danny in the office, it quickly became clear that Steve had made a very good choice. Danny was personable and easy to get along with. He did have a temper, but didn't lose it that often. When he did, the staff quickly learned to either give him space or, in Steve's case, take him to task over it. He picked up the paperwork very quickly and was soon doing the paperwork that was associated with the position of second in command, which involved another exchange of glances between Kono and Chin as they were relieved of doing it. Steve's relationship with HPD, which had suffered after Yuri's ignominious departure from Five-O and his subsequent backbiting, improved enormously and Steve suspected that had a lot to do with Danny's presence at crime scenes, where he smoothed things over.

It wasn't entirely plain sailing. There were incidents between the new detective and some of the older detectives on HPD who resented the 'young upstart' giving them orders. Danny had almost come to blows with one of the less prudent men who had openly berated the younger man for accepting the post and Steve found himself in the unusual situation of being the peacemaker between them. Generally, however, the men at HPD were genuinely pleased for Danny at his promotion.

There had been the inevitable press conference where Danny had been presented to the public via the media. He had been quite stunned at some of the dumb questions they asked him and he was careful to give answers that seemed to say a lot without giving anything much away. He had been warned that the media would think that his private life was as much for public consumption as his public life and that was something he really didn't like.

"What are you going to do on your day off Danno?" Steve asked. Over three months had passed since Danny had returned to work and since they were having something of a lull, Steve offered the younger man a day off, over and above his scheduled day off. Steve had noticed that Danny quite often worked on at least part of his day off and always volunteered to come in if something cropped up with Chin and his family. He was staying later in the evening and Steve found he enjoyed having another person working the same crazy hours that he did.

"I'm going surfing," Danny replied, grinning. "I've got a competition next month and I haven't been out nearly enough lately."

"I see." Steve was less than enthusiastic about his detective undertaking this dangerous sport, although he knew Kono surfed, too. The Hawaiian detective did not compete in the sport, just surfed the lesser waves. Danny, Steve knew from gossip, liked to surf the Banzai Pipeline and that worried Steve.

"I'll be fine," Danny assured his boss, accurately reading Steve's posture and expression. He had become very good at that in the last few months. He fished a cigarette from his pocket, put it in his mouth, then removed it again after catching Steve's eye. He was doing better at trying to quit, but still hadn't quite succeeded. He rarely smoked in the office anymore; it was something he did socially and under stress. One day, he knew he would succeed in giving up completely. There had been too much else going on for the last few months to add something else into the mixture.

"Enjoy yourself," Steve said and tried not to sound grudging. He didn't grudge Danny the day off, but he did resent that his youngest detective kept putting himself in danger like that. There was enough danger on the job – hadn't the run-in with Matsukita taught him that?

"I will." Danny sketched a farewell as he left and lit his cigarette in the hallway, feeling slightly guilty about it. He resolved that he would not have another cigarette until the following day, but he had a date that night and later in the evening, he did have a quick puff. His feelings of letting Steve down robbed the action of what enjoyment he might have taken from it.


	36. Chapter 36

The waves at the Pipeline were moderate that day. There were a lot of surfers out enjoying the chance to surf it without risking their lives completely. Danny had hoped for some bigger waves, but after his first few curls, he realised that he was not quite in the shape he ought to be for surfing the bigger waves – or for the up-coming competition either.

Deciding that he needed more practice elsewhere, he went to one of the beaches where the waves were steadier and less dangerous and more the kind of thing he needed for practice and toning. The fact it was also closer to civilisation meant that he had ready access to food and drinks if he wanted to extend his practice time.

By mid-afternoon, Danny had had enough surfing for the day. He was pleasantly tired, his muscles slightly achy, but he felt his rhythm was back and the waves had been a joy to surf. He had attracted a bit of attention, too and as he towelled off for the last time, a blonde woman approached him. She was curved in all the right places and her bikini showed off her figure to great advantage. She clearly knew it as well.

"You're not bad on that board," she offered. Her look said a whole lot more.

"Thanks," Danny responded. I'm Danny."

"I'm Penny."

It was as simple as that. Within a few minutes, Danny had a date for the evening. Penny was from the mid-west and her trip to Hawaii with a couple of friends was a graduation gift from her father. Danny arranged to meet her at her hotel a little later on.

The sun was just going down as Danny met Penny and took her to one of his favourite restaurants on the beach. It wasn't fancy, but the food was good and the views outstanding. They flirted over the meal and Danny was seriously thinking about inviting Penny to spend the night with him. She wanted to go dancing, so after the meal, they strolled along the road, heading towards the Ilikai hotel. Sirens could be heard in the near distance and Danny wondered vaguely what was going on, but the lovely lady by his side successfully kept his attention.

Right up until he spotted Steve's black Mercury behind a patrol car. Automatically, he scanned the ranks of police officers that were manning the barricades up ahead at the Ilikai for his boss, but there was no immediate sight of Steve.

"What's going on?" Penny asked, sounding rather petulant. "They've blocked off the Ilikai!"

"I don't know," Danny replied truthfully. He had no idea, but it had to be something pretty big for that number of police to be there and Steve, too. Where _was_ Steve?

"Move along there," a voice ordered brusquely. "This is no place for spectators." The officer's tone changed as Danny glanced at him. "Oh, Danny! Thank goodness you're here! That was quick." The cop's tone was pure relief.

While Danny still had not the least idea what was going on, alarm bells were now ringing wildly in his head. Steve was obviously on-scene, so why was the cop so pleased to see him? It could be because Steve was swamped and wanted one of his own detectives on hand and as a consequence had been snapping impatiently at the HPD officers. It could easily be that, yet something told Danny the situation was a lot more serious than that. "What's happening?" he demanded, unconsciously freeing his arm from Penny's grip.

"Danny?" Penny questioned uncertainly.

Without looking at her, Danny patted her arm. He hadn't told her he worked for Five-O; he had simply told her he was a cop. She had reacted to that with the ambivalence that seemed to be so prevalent in society. It was great that cops were there when needed, but they were regarded as almost the enemy the rest of the time. Being a part of the state police would almost certainly have been beyond the pale.

"A couple of guys went nuts in the lobby of the Ilikai," the cop replied. "Broke a lot of stuff, killed somebody as far as we can tell and hurt a few others."

"Armed?" Danny asked.

"One gun, one baseball bat. Steve went to negotiate with the batter, because the phones are all out and he hasn't come back."

Danny's breath caught. Even in the few short months he had been with Five-O, he had become aware of Steve's habit of thrusting himself into situations where angels would fear to tread. One day, he would get hurt doing that and Danny feared that day had come. "Penny, I'm so sorry, but I have to help here," he told his date. "Rain check?"

"Why do you have to help?" she asked petulantly. "There are plenty of other cops."

"He's the only member of Five-O on scene," the officer answered helpfully. Danny wished he had kept quiet. Penny took a step back.

"Penny…" Danny began but got no further.

"I could put up with you being a cop, but Five-O is different," she told him. "How did you get to be a big shot so young? I've heard stories about Five-O since I got here." Her tone ably implied the stories were not good. Her expression backed up her tone.

"Maybe you should have asked me about them," Danny replied bleakly. "Goodbye, Penny. This officer will take you back…"

"I can find my own way." Penny turned on her heel. Danny felt a fleeting moment of regret, then returned his attention to the job on hand. He made his way forward to the shelter of a patrol car where various cops were crouching, including Duke Lukela. The veteran cop greeted the younger man with a nod and silently handed him a pair of binoculars, indicating the lobby. Danny trained them on the brightly lit building and the first thing he saw was the unmoving body of Steve McGarrett!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Is Steve alive?" Danny asked, rather surprised at how calm he sounded.

"We think so," Duke replied.

"Sharpshooters?" Danny enquired. He wasn't much of a drinker, but he had had a couple of beers that evening and wasn't going to handle a rifle, although the urge to get his wonderful new weapon was strong. It would only take a patrolman a few minutes to go to his apartment and retrieve it…

"Yeah, two, but getting a good position is difficult because of the porch." The front of the hotel had a covered area right outside the front doors to offer protection from the sun and the rain. It looked good, but Danny could understand the frustration for the marksmen.

Looking over the hood of the car, Danny saw the planted area on his side of the hotel doors with fresh eyes. It was no longer just decorative; it was potential cover for the sharp shooters. Someone had to check it out and Danny reasoned that someone was him. Without a word to Duke, and not even thinking that he was unarmed, Danny put down the binoculars and made a run for it.

"Danny!" Duke's frustrated cry was ignored and the younger man slipped through his grasping fingers. "You have picked up some bad habits already," Duke snarled under his breath.

A volley of shots caused all the cops to duck and when Duke lifted his head he fully expected Danny to be sprawled dead on the asphalt. "Don't fire!" he hastily ordered as he saw Danny crouched by the base of a pillar, partially camouflaged by the large leaves of a big green plant. Holding his breath anxiously, Duke waited for the shot that would take out his young friend, but to his relief it didn't come.

After a couple of minutes of looking around, Danny made the run back to the safety of the patrol car and a couple of shots peppered the other side of the vehicle. "What were you thinking!" Duke chided him.

"I was thinking that I've found a great spot for our marksmen," Danny retorted sharply. He seemed somehow older in that moment, although the youthful face had not changed. What had changed was the level of responsibility that he had taken on. He was the ranking officer at the scene. It was his responsibility to find a solution to this problem that kept everyone safe and it wasn't something he was taking lightly at all. "Someone give me a gun," he requested. "I'm going to…"

"You're not armed?" Duke was incredulous.

"I was on a date," Danny snapped, irritated that the other man was wasting time when Steve was lying in there, possibly dying.

"You still need to be armed," Duke replied, appropriating a gun from another cop. "Something small that you can carry in an ankle holster. Discreet, but to hand. You never know when a situation like this will crop up."

"Good thinking," Danny acknowledged. He knew he had a lot to learn. He tucked the gun he was handed into the waistband of his jeans under his shirt. "I'm going to talk to them," he added. "Get the sharpshooters into position and tell them to take the shots the moment they can. Get the men alive if possible."

"Be careful," Duke urged. He held out a vest, but knew Danny would turn it down. Danny briefly shook his head and picked up the bullhorn. Duke started issuing Danny's orders.

"You in the lobby. I'm coming out to talk to you."

There was a pause. "It won't make no difference," a man shouted back. "You can talk all you want."

"I'm coming out. Don't shoot." Taking a deep breath to calm his quaking nerves, Danny stood up and walked out into the open.


	37. Chapter 37

Lying on the cool marble floor of the lobby, Steve fought to remain still, although the urge to curl up into a ball and protect his vitals was almost overwhelming. He had seriously underestimated how strung out these men were and he had paid the price. His head throbbed in time to every beat of his heart and his cheek rested in a small puddle of his own blood. He didn't think he had been unconscious for long, but he wasn't sure. Thinking was hard. He thought that he'd only received a glancing blow from the baseball bat; from the shattered remains of lights and mirrors, Steve knew that he would have probably died if he had been hit squarely. All the same, he knew he was in big trouble and he couldn't think clearly enough to work out how to get out of this mess.

The drunken man with the gun was shouting. Steve couldn't catch any words, just the sounds. The shouting was less hard on his throbbing head than the earlier shooting had been, but it was still unpleasant. Was the man shouting at him, Steve wondered? He risked glancing up, a move that almost had him whimpering aloud in agony and caused him to swallow hard against rising nausea. No; in the confused blur of light that passed as eyesight, Steve thought the man was shouting to someone outside. He closed his eyes and drifted for a few moments.

As he blearily came back to reality, Steve vaguely wondered if it was Chin or Kono was in charge outside. He trusted them both with his life. He was sure they would manage to talk these guys down somehow. Wouldn't they?

A voice drew his attention and Steve gritted his teeth as he forced his addled, bruised brain to listen. The voice was familiar. Who was it? He squinted into the horrendously bright light.

Was that Danny? Steve blinked. It certainly looked to his skewed perceptions like his newest detective. It couldn't be! Danny was on a day off. What could he be doing here? Surely neither Chin nor Kono would have sent him in here. And he wasn't wearing a suit as far as Steve could tell. He was confused as he tried to work this out and then decided it didn't matter. Danny was there.

It was almost as though Danny's familiar voice had leant clarity to Steve's brain. He could hear Danny's voice quite clearly, as though listening to a radio show.

"Put down the weapons and put your hands up," Danny said calmly. "We want to end this peacefully. Tell me what's wrong and I'll do what I can to sort it out."

No! Steve wanted to protest but his tongue seemed to be cleaved to the roof of his mouth. Danny shouldn't have been allowed to come in here. He was a good cop and had the makings of a great cop, but someone with more experience should have done the negotiating. _Yeah, someone like you_ jeered a small voice in his mind. _Look how well that turned out!_

"Are you really a cop, kid?" slurred the guy with the bat. He was so drunk he could barely speak.

"Put the bat down," Danny urged. His voice was calm and controlled, but it still annoyed the drunk.

"Don' tell me what to do!" the batter snarled and swung the bat in a deadly arc towards the young detective. At the same moment, the gun man lifted the weapon, which had been pointing to the floor, and Danny saw it was aiming at Steve!

There was no time to think – only act. Danny had made enough of a show coming in here to hopefully keep the attention of the two men off the sharpshooters getting into position in the foliage outside. They should have both men in range. Now he had to protect Steve and if that was at the price of his own life, that was a price he was willing to pay. He threw himself over Steve, feeling a solid whack on the back of his shoulder that instantly numbed his left arm. Bracing himself to feel the burning bite of a bullet, Danny fumbled for the gun he'd borrowed while still trying to protect Steve with his own body and overcome the pain.

Shots suddenly rang through the lobby, deafening in the enclosed space. Something heavy landed on Danny's legs, pinning him in place. He tried to kick free, but was unable to shift the weight. Even with the gun in his hand, Danny knew he was a sitting duck and tried to lever himself up on his elbows to shoot. His left arm refused to obey him. He squinted up and saw, to his utter relief, armed cops swarming in and taking control of the situation, removing the gun from the drunken man's hand. "Clear!" shouted a voice.

Next instant, Duke was kneeling next to him and Steve. "Danny!"

"I'm okay," Danny mumbled. He let Duke take the gun from him and felt the weight lifted from his legs. He saw it was the gunman and he was obviously dead. Danny swallowed hard. "Steve?"

"Get… off … me," replied a voice from the man pinned under Danny's body.

Duke and Chin helped Danny up while Kono knelt by Steve and kept the Five-O chief from getting up. The ambulance was waiting for the nod and hurried in to take charge.

It didn't take long for them to immobilise Steve and strap him to a stretcher. Steve had complained weakly throughout. Duke continued to support the shaken Danny and helped him outside and into the ambulance. "I need to stay," Danny protested. "I'm in charge."

"You were, bruddah," Kono contradicted.

"Now you're in charge of Steve," Chin assured him.

"Take over the scene," Danny ordered. He was beginning to get feeling back in his arm and wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing. He knew he ought to stay – it was his scene after all – but somehow or other he had been out-voted. There again, he was concerned about Steve. The older man was ashen and his face was stained with blood. Head injuries were tricky.

As the ambulance pulled away, Duke looked at the Five-O detectives. "Am I missing something?" he asked. "Danny was ordering you around – and us, too, earlier."

"No, you haven't missed anything," Chin replied. "But watch this space," he added mysteriously before going back inside to supervise the clean-up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The gunman was dead, but the bat-wielding thug was still alive. As he was bundled into the ambulance, Kono loomed over him. "What did ya do dis for?" he asked. All he got in reply was a mouthful of abuse. Kono gestured for one of the uniformed cops to go with the man to the hospital and he and Chin set about gathering as much information as they could. The staff from the Ilikai had mostly escaped with minor injuries, but one of the receptionists had received a heavy blow to the head and was not expected to live through the night. The person that had been thought to be dead had actually been playing possum and had only cuts and bruises from the flying glass. He was the barman and from him they learned what had happened.

"They were drunk as skunks when they came in," he explained. "I refused to serve them and they went away. I didn't think any more about it until they came back about five minutes later and this one guy was carrying a baseball bat. He began to smash up the place and everyone ran! Then the other guy produced a gun and started shooting everything."

"All because you wouldn't give him a drink?" Chin clarified.

"Far as I can make out," agreed the barman. He went off to get his injuries tended to.

Further investigation found several bottles of liquor lying open in the lobby and the whole place stank like a brewery. As the lab boys moved in, the detectives speculated that the men had opened and drunk from the various bottles, then dropping them and opening something else. They would find out for sure when questioning the bat-wielding man.

There was nothing more they could do at the scene. They headed back to their cars and were stopped by the cop who was on barricade duty. "Guys – this girl was with Danny earlier. She's looking for him." Penny was standing there beside him.

Neither of the Five-O detectives had met Penny. "What do you want with Danny, miss?" Chin asked.

"We were on a date and when he went to help here, I left," Penny replied. "I… I wasn't very nice to him and I wanted to apologise and see if he would go dancing with me. Where is he?"

"I'm sorry," Chin replied gently. "Danny is tied up with official duties and won't be able to see you again tonight." It was true; Danny had officially been left in charge of making sure Steve was taken care of. Chin wasn't going to tell this young woman that his colleague might be hurt, too. He had no idea who she was. "If you give me a number, I'll pass it on to him," he offered.

"Oh, he knows where I'm staying," Penny replied. "Don't bother to tell him anything." She stomped off into the night.

"She's one crazy lady," the cop mentioned. "When Danny showed up here earlier, she stormed off then, too."

"He's better off without her," Chin opined.

"Real pretty, though," Kono admitted. "Danny sure can pick 'em."

"In more ways than one," Chin smiled. "Let's go, bruddah."


	38. Chapter 38

The ER was quieter than they had expected to find it. A couple of people from the Ilikai were waiting to be seen and there were a few others, too, but that was all. A quick show of their badges got them through to the treatment rooms and there they found Danny and Steve together. Danny gave them a quick smile of welcome as they entered the small room. He was perched on the edge of Steve's gurney. Neither Chin nor Kono could imagine taking up such a position or looking as comfortable sitting there if they did.

"Howzit?" Kono enquired.

"What's the situation at the Ilikai?" Danny asked in return.

"One dead, the other in custody," Kono reported. "Da lab boys are going over da place, but it all seems straight forward."

"We got plenty of eye witness reports," Chin elaborated. "There won't be any problem in making charges stick."

"Good," Steve grunted. He kept his eyes closed although the room was only dimly illuminated. An IV dripped fluid into his left arm, he was clad in a hospital gown and his skin bore a distinct green tinge. A bandage encircled his head, but his face had been washed clean of the blood.

"What does Doc say?" Kono ventured.

"Too much," Steve muttered.

"Steve's got a concussion," Danny replied with an affectionate, amused glanced at his supine boss. "Doc's keeping him in for observation until the vomiting is under control."

"What about you?" Chin asked, taking in Danny's dirty dishevelled clothing.

"Nothing's broken," Danny replied dismissively. "I'm just a bit bruised."

Remembering how unsteady Danny had been at the scene and the way he had protected his arm, both of the detectives were immediately sceptical. Danny caught the look they exchanged and protested at once. "I am just bruised! Ask Doc!"

"Ask me what?" Bergman enquired as he came into the room. He eyed the Five-O men. It was rather crowded with all of them in there. He didn't wait for a reply. "Steve, there's no skull fracture but you do have a moderate concussion and I'm keeping you here until the vomiting is under control and I'm 100% certain that you don't have a bleed on the brain."

"I'm fine," Steve objected, but his protest would have carried more weight if he hadn't been flat on his back, looking as weak as a kitten.

"Yeah, yeah," Bergman scoffed.

"We'll look after the office until you get back, Steve," Danny assured the older man. "I'll keep you up to speed."

"You'd better," Steve growled but a small grin flitted across his wan face.

"What about Danny?" Chin asked. "He was pretty shaky at the scene."

At that, Steve's eyes opened a slit and he fixed Danny with a basilisk stare. "You didn't say that," he accused the detective.

"It was just for a moment," Danny protested. "I'm fine."

"You're fine now," Bergman agreed, "but the ambulance attendant on scene told me you were shaky and that's why we gave you some juice to boost your blood sugar."

"Are you keeping him in?" Chin asked.

"No," Bergman replied. "He's just bruised but he's going to be stiff and sore for a few days and needs to take it easy. No surfing and no more fights."

"I can promise about the surfing," Danny assured him cheekily, "but the fights are out with my control."

"Danno!" Steve scolded but he was smiling while Bergman spluttered.

"Take this one home," Bergman ordered, indicating Danny. "Don't let him drive for a few days. But he'll be fine." The withering look he gave Danny couldn't conceal the affection he felt for the young man. "Steve, you're going upstairs now."

As Danny slid to the floor, Steve caught his wrist. "Danno – mahalo for tonight. I want all the details when my head aches less."

"Sure thing," Danny smiled. He stepped out of the way and watched as Steve was wheeled out of the room. As the gurney disappeared from view, Danny's bright, alert posture sagged and he suddenly looked exhausted.

"Take him home," Bergman advised again. "And take tomorrow off, Danny."

"He will," Kono assured the doctor and steered Danny towards the exit. The younger man went meekly – for now.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Somehow it didn't come as a surprise to find Danny already in the office when they arrived the next morning. The company LTD was parked outside and although Danny still looked tired, he looked a lot better than he had the previous night.

"How's da shoulder?" Kono asked, resisting the urge to clap his hand down on the injured appendage, knowing that it would be aching. The shadow of a dark bruise showed through Danny's white shirt.

"Still there," Danny replied flippantly. "I phoned the hospital and Steve is finally resting. They say we can see him later this afternoon and I asked that Doc call us after he has seen Steve this morning. The bad news is that the Ilikai receptionist died during the night, so I called down to HPD to add murder to the charges against the batter. Most likely it'll be knocked down to manslaughter, but we can try. The custody sergeant told me there'll be a bail hearing later on today, so I'll go along to make our recommendations."

"You aren't supposed to be driving, Danny," Chin reminded him sternly. "And Doc told you to take today off."

"There's too much to do," Danny protested. "Besides, I'm fine." He watched with annoyance as the other two men exchanged glances. "And what does that look mean?" he demanded. "I am here, you know."

"Yep, dat's what it means," Kono agreed, smiling at his friend's bafflement. "On your own head be it," he added.

Not happy to just acquiesce, Chin frowned at Danny. "You should be at home resting," Chin admonished.

"I'm fine, honestly," Danny insisted, exasperated. "There's too much to do for me to lie around at home." With that final word, he ducked back into his cubicle and sat down at his desk.

"A chip off the old block," Chin grumbled as he went towards his own cubicle. After a moment, he looked over at Kono and grinned.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The judge at the bail hearing was one Danny knew by repute only and his heart sank. Judge Petrowski was well known to be something of a bleeding heart with a soft spot for a good sob story. Knowing that didn't help Danny's nerves any. This was the first time he had been Five-O's sole representative in court and he didn't want to let Steve down by messing up. He didn't want his new boss to be disappointed in him.

It was reassuring to have the Attorney General there with him, although Danny was stung when Walter Stuart looked beyond hi, clearly seeking someone else and not bothering to hide his disappointment in not finding them. "Is Steve still in hospital?" he asked.

"He should be getting out soon," Danny replied. He felt the nerves growing even more. He didn't have time to brood though. The batter was brought in, clearly suffering from a desperate hangover and with one arm in a sling. Danny stood beside Stuart.

The charges were enumerated and the judge shook his head and tutted under his breath in what seemed to be disappointment that someone could behave so badly.

"And does the state oppose bail?" he asked in a tone that implied that doing so was really rather unfair.

"Yes, Your Honour," Danny replied.

There was a long pause as the judge looked Danny up and down. Danny was annoyed and fought to keep a flush from staining his face. He wasn't entirely successful. "Who are you?" the judge finally asked.

"Detective Williams, Five-O," Danny answered proudly.

"Where's McGarrett?" Petrowski enquired.

"Mr McGarrett sustained a concussion last night at the hands of the defendant," Danny explained, "and is still in hospital."

"An _alleged_ concussion," the judge corrected.

"No, Sir," Danny denied. "The concussion has been confirmed by the doctor." Beside Danny, Stuart had stiffened as the young detective started arguing – albeit mildly – with the judge. "The defendant is the alleged perpetrator."

After a moment, when the whole court was holding its breath, waiting for the judge to declare Danny in contempt of court, Petrowski laughed. "Quite right, young man," he smiled. "Do we know for sure that the defendant was wielding the bat?"

"Detective Williams can testify that the defendant was wielding the bat," Stuart said smoothly.

"Oh? And what makes you so sure he was the person, Detective?"

The last thing Danny wanted to do was tell the judge what had happened, but he had no choice. "He hit me a glancing with the bat," he replied.

"It can't have been too bad a blow," the judge decided. "You look all right."

"I'm just bruised, Your Honour," Danny replied, but he couldn't stop the edge of irritation creeping into his voice. He was stiff and sore, just as Doc had predicted, but hadn't had anything for the discomfort because of this hearing.

However, Walter Stuart was not having Danny's disclaimer taken at face value. He had already spoken to Dr Bergman about the injuries Steve and Danny had sustained and knew that Bergman had told the young detective to take the day off. "If I may, You Honour, Detective Williams is rather down-playing the severity of the bruising. According to the attending physician last night, Detective Williams sustained deep bruising to the shoulder area and for a time it was feared he might have broken his scapula – the shoulder blade." Stuart loved an audience when things were going his way and he could hear the scribble of pens on paper as the reporters present took notes. "He was advised by his physician to take today off, but with Mr McGarrett in hospital, he did not feel he could do that. Ignoring his own discomfort, he came here today to testify."

Frowning, the judge was clearly trying to decide if he should take this at face value. "May I see this bruising?" he asked.

With an encouraging word from Stuart, Danny slid off his suit jacket and indicated the bruising through his shirt. The judge was not satisfied with that and shortly, Danny found himself easing out of his shirt, something he had hoped not to have to do before undressing for the night. There were gasps from the gallery as the deep black/purple bruise was displayed and the judge looked rather taken aback. "Thank you…"

"Detective Williams," Stuart reminded the judge as he helped Danny back into his shirt. "Detective Dan Williams."

"Thank you. And this was a glancing blow, you say?" Petrowski asked.

"Yes, Your Honour." Danny couldn't remember the last time he had been so embarrassed. "I ducked."

The judge looked through the papers in front of him again, then looked at the public defender. The PD shook his head, clearly not willing to say anything at all in his client's defence. In fact, he looked like he would prefer to say a few things that would be detrimental to his client. "Bail denied," Petrowski announced. He banged his gavel. "The trial will commence on Thursday of next week. Next!"

Hugely relieved, Danny shoved his tie into his jacket pocket for the moment and hurried to escape the court room so that he could find a place to hide from the reporters who were surging towards him.

"There will be no statements until after the trial," declared a familiar voice in a no-nonsense tone.

"Steve!" Danny was simultaneously delighted to see his boss and concerned that he was doing too much when he was newly out of hospital. "What are you doing here? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," Steve replied. He was still pale, but the bandage was gone from his head and he was dressed in a clean suit. "You did a good job here, Danno." He ushered his detective out of the court and into a side room. "Petrowski is not the easiest of men to deal with." He eyed the younger man. "Aren't you supposed to be at home resting?" he added, a slight edge to his tone.

Just the few short weeks he had been working with Steve had taught Danny a lot about the tones his boss used. "There was a lot to do," he replied. "Chin and Kono couldn't do it all themselves."

"Well, I want you to go home now," Steve ordered. "You need to rest."

"But I want to question the batter," Danny protested.

"Someone else can do that," Steve said firmly. "Let's go." He put his hand on Danny's good shoulder and steered him towards the exit where a patrolman was waiting to drive them wherever they wanted to go. Steve had arrived at the court in time to see Danny's bruise and was horrified by the extent of it.

"You mustn't go to the office," Danny objected. "You've got a concussion."

"I won't be there long," Steve agreed. "But I do need to give my statement about last night."

"I don't want to miss hearing that," Danny cried. "And I haven't given mine yet, either."

For a moment, he thought Steve was going to put his foot down, then the older man sighed. "All right, all right," he smiled. "Come back to the office with me, we'll both give our statements and then we can both go home. Deal?"

"Deal," Danny agreed.


	39. Chapter 39

It was very interesting, Chin thought, how similar Steve and Danny's statements were. Both men had gone to talk to the two men who had wreaked such havoc in the Ilikai. Steve had taken a blow to the head and been knocked out. Danny had managed to get back up in place before he, too, took a blow. If he hadn't done that, the outcome would have been an awful lot less positive. It was fortunate that the bat-wielding man had been too drunk to realise that Steve would be armed, or he might have had a gun as well. He had done more than enough damage with the baseball bat.

When his statement had been taken, Danny had succumbed to pressure from May and had taken something for his pain and was now fighting off sleep. Steve was showing signs of intending to stay at the office, but Danny had no compunction in badgering the older man into getting some rest and when May threatened to call Bergman, Steve capitulated with bad grace. Bergman had not been happy that he insisted on leaving and in truth, his headache was a real problem.

As they were driven home, Steve watched his dozing detective thoughtfully. While Chin was taking Danny's statement, Kono briefed Steve on Danny's actions the night before. Steve wanted to talk to Duke and find out first-hand what Danny had done and said. It appeared that his young detective had had no problem in stepping up to the plate and issuing the necessary orders. It also appeared that nobody had questioned his right to issue those orders. Authority was more than just a badge; it was a state of mind, too. If the person didn't think they had the right to order others around, then they simply couldn't muster the correct tone or body language. It was another point to ponder and Steve had been doing some serious thinking since Danny joined Five-O.

"Take tomorrow off," Steve ordered as he dropped Danny off at his apartment.

"I'll be fine by tomorrow," Danny replied, yawning widely.

"Be that as it may, I want you to take tomorrow off," Steve insisted.

Wide blue eyes fastened on Steve's face. "Are you taking tomorrow off?" he asked.

This was something new for Steve. Chin and Kono seldom challenged him on things like this. They weren't afraid of him, but they did defer to him. So did Danny, but he also was not afraid of challenging Steve and it was disconcerting. "I'll see how I am in the morning," Steve hedged.

Those blue eyes did not waver. "So you are going in," Danny concluded. "Then so am I."

"Danno…" Steve began, irritated, but Danny did not let him finish.

"Steve, I'm not badly hurt, honestly. I'm sore today, but by tomorrow, I'll be feeling a lot better. I've had worse bruises than this from wipeouts and I know how it works. I'm fine to come in tomorrow. You should still be resting, though. A concussion is nothing to mess about with." Danny's concern was obvious.

With a flash of surprise, Steve realised that somewhere in the last few months, he and Danny had become friends. Steve had friends, of course, but he tended to keep a little distance between himself and his colleagues at work. How had Danny managed to slip under that line and become a friend – a friend who was concerned enough about his health to take him to task? It was a warm, pleasant feeling, even if he wasn't too sure about how it would affect the dynamic in the office.

"All right, I'll take tomorrow off and you do the same," Steve bargained. "Does that satisfy you?"

"As long as you rest," Danny agreed. "And no cheating! Rest means rest."

"That applies to you as well," Steve smiled. "Aloha, Danno."

"Sleep well, Steve," Danny replied, smiling. He slipped out of the car and headed to his apartment, pleased he had been able to make Steve see sense – this time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next day found both Steve and Danny in the office by late morning, both dressed casually and both professing to be just 'dropping in'. Steve had taken it easy that morning, forgoing his usual jog and lazing around and hated to admit that Danny might have had a point the previous day. He did feel better for resting and so he vowed that this visit to the office would be a short one. He just had to keep his finger on the pulse of what was going on.

Danny had come in for a different reason. He had already been past HPD and spoken briefly to Duke and now he wanted to ask Chin and Kono's opinions about carrying a second weapon. He had been thinking about it quite a lot since Duke brought it up the other night.

"I thought you were taking today off?" Danny said, the accusation clear in his tone.

"I thought you were?" Steve countered.

"Boredom?" Danny suggested, grinning.

"Just keeping my finger on the pulse," Steve replied and let a smile cross his face. It was hard to admit that he hated to relinquish control. "So what are you doing here?" Steve demanded. "Bored?"

"Asking questions," Danny replied honestly. "Personal research, if you like."

"Have you found any answers?" Steve was enjoying the sparring and he led Danny into his office.

"Yes, but I do want to run it by you before I finally decide." Danny sat on the edge of Steve's desk, not even aware that he was doing so. Steve noticed but found, to his surprise, that he didn't mind the informality at all. "I'm thinking of getting a second gun," Danny explained. "Something small that I can carry when I'm off duty."

"Good idea," Steve nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

Relieved that the idea that Duke had planted was receiving such a positive response, Danny replied, "A .22. I can carry it in an ankle holster."

"That's a good choice," Steve agreed. "I'm seldom unarmed myself."

"Duke suggested it the other night," Danny confessed. "I just wanted to know what everyone thought before I went ahead and did it."

"Can you afford it?" Steve asked, hoping the younger man would not take offence at the nosy question.

"Yes, I can," Danny smiled. "I've paid back the money you leant me, Steve; mahalo for that once more. And since Five-O bought my rifle, I have some savings now. A .22 won't cost anything like what a good rifle would, so I'll still have some money left."

"Go for it then," McGarrett encouraged. "I think it's a good idea. You never know when an edge like that could save your life."

"Thanks, Steve." Danny beamed at him.

"Are you going home now?" Steve asked.

"Are you?" Danny countered and beamed all the harder.

"In a little while," Steve sighed.

"I'll wait for you," Danny offered and Steve had to smile.

"All right, Danno," he laughed. "All right. I'll go home." He got to his feet. "Satisfied?"

"Oh yes," Danny nodded. They left the office together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Life swiftly returned to what passed for normal over the next few days. Both Steve and Danny made good recoveries from their injuries and they were soon back in the thick of things. A gang of audacious jewel thieves descended on them from the mainland a month or so later, Five-O were soon involved in a cat-and-mouse game with them, foiling a couple of attempted raids, almost catching them another time and finally capturing them with a plan that Danny devised and led. Nobody was injured and all the stolen jewellery – several million dollars' worth – was recovered. Some of the jewellery had already been fenced and Steve was proud that Danny was able to arrest the fences before they were able to break the jewellery up or sell it on.

Gradually, Steve started to shift some of his responsibility onto Danny's shoulders. It was done so gradually and so naturally that it took a few months before Chin and Kono realised that Danny was shouldering all the duties of the second in command, even though he did not officially bear that title.

"Where's Danny?" Kono asked May one morning. It was unusual for the young detective not to be in early, although there had been the odd occasion when he had slept in.

"Steve sent him on a wild goose chase," May replied with a straight face. "He wants to see you and Chin sharp at 8am before Danny realises he's been had."

"Are we gonna give him a surprise party?" Kono demanded, looking pleased at the notion. Steve was not the kind of person who went in for throwing surprise parties, but it was Danny's birthday and he couldn't think of another reason… Well, maybe he could. "Oh," he breathed, as the light dawned.

"Exactly," May agreed in a satisfied tone.

Chin arrived only moments later and they went into the big office and took seats. Steve leaned against the desk. "Gentlemen, I have made a decision that affects all of us and I want your honest opinions." They both nodded. "Chin, you told me you didn't want to be second in command. You said so, too, Kono. Do those decisions still stand?"

"Yeah, boss," Chin nodded.

"Sure, Steve," Kono agreed.

"Thank you. In that case, I intend to offer the promotion to Danno. If you have a problem with this, I'd like you to say so now and I will think again. I know he is young, but he is more than capable and is someone we can all work with. Your thoughts?"

"That's great, boss," Chin beamed.

"What a present for da kaikaina," Kono cheered.

"Present?" Steve echoed, confused by the context of the word, but pleased that the other two detectives did not object to his plans. He hadn't thought there would be a problem, but he had plenty of persuasive arguments at his fingertips and if necessary, he would simply have decreed it from on high, but it was better to have their approbation.

"Today is Danny's birthday," Kono explained. Remembering birthdays, even his own, was not one of Steve's strong points. Danny had already proved that he was up on that detail by organising a beautiful bouquet of flowers for May on her birthday. All Steve had had to do was cough up his share of the cash.

"Ah," Steve nodded sagely. _27_, he recalled. "All right, let's get down to business. Chin…"

The door opened and Danny came in. He looked slightly harried and annoyed. "Sorry, Steve, but the Attorney General's office insists they do not have the Gerard file."

"Well, it must be somewhere," Steve said mildly, walking around to rifle through the pile of papers on one side of his neat desk. "It's not…" He trailed off unconvincingly. "Oh, here it is," he concluded lamely.

Exasperated, Danny ran his hand through his hair. He realised from Steve's bad acting and Chin and Kono's amusement that something was going on and he was the patsy. He was on the brink of losing his temper, because he hated being made a fool of and this kind of hazing was something that kids did, in his opinion, not adults and not almost a year into the job.

"Danno, I'm sorry," Steve said, coming around the desk and putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I wanted to talk to Kono and Chin without you here."

Stormy blue eyes met Steve's darker blue eyes and Steve realised how that sounded. He didn't blame the younger man for being annoyed, but he didn't give the explosive temper time to ignite. "I wanted to see how they felt about you becoming second in command." Steve smiled. "Fortunately, they agreed with me. All I need now is your acceptance. Do I have it?"

All the anger drained from Danny's face and he shook his head slightly, as though dazed. His mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"He accepts!" Kono crowed, leaping to his feet and buffeting Danny on the shoulder as he pumped his hand. "Happy birthday, bruddah!"

"I… I…" Danny stuttered.

"Congratulations, Danny," Chin smiled.

Still shocked, Danny looked at Steve, who raised an eyebrow in a question. "Yes," Danny declared firmly, suddenly believing that this was not one huge hoax; that this was real.

"Excellent," Steve nodded. "Happy birthday, Danno."

The office door opened and May came in with a tray bearing coffee and a cake. "Congratulations, Danny," she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a smacking kiss on the cheek. "Happy birthday!"

Completely overwhelmed, Danny could hardly speak and couldn't stop grinning. May efficiently handed out the cake and coffee and they stood around eating, drinking and talking for a while before Steve finally put a stop to the celebrations. "We can't spend all day eating cake," he declared. "We've got to get some work done. Danno, I'm heading over to speak to the Governor and tell him about your promotion. There will be a public announcement at some point today, I expect. In the meantime, don't you all have work to do?"

May rose and Chin and Kono helped her load up the tray with the remnants of the celebration. Danny helped, but lingered for a few moments as the others left. "Steve – I don't know what to say. Thank you doesn't seem like nearly enough."

"It's more than enough for me," Steve replied gruffly. "You keep doing what you've been doing. That's thanks enough for me." He patted the shorter man on the shoulder before leaving the room. Still feeling slightly dazed, Danny went into his own cubicle.

Leaning around to peer into Chin's space, Kono whispered jubilantly, "Dat's da right stuff, bruddah."

"Sure is," Chin agreed.

The whole office felt brighter and more lively; complete in a way it hadn't for a long time. Steve, while no less intense, seemed more relaxed within himself. Danny had fitted right in and filled a hole that none of them had realised was there. They were somehow more of a team than they had ever been before.

Basking in the day, Danny could not stop smiling. He had dreamed of joining Five-O, but had never believed it would happen. This was a perfect day. Nothing could spoil it.

"Danny," May said, interrupting his musing. "HPD have called for Five-O. There's been a murder…"

Pau

**Thank you so much to my readers for sticking with this long and sometimes convoluted tale. I really appreciate it and hope that you have enjoyed reading this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it.**


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